title: Confidentiality in crisis: Part I--The duty to inform.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To discuss the ethical and legal imperatives to protect third parties from harm in circumstances often believed to be protected by doctor-patient confidentiality.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of recent legislative changes and legal decisions pertaining to a psychiatrist's duty to warn.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current legislative and legal climate presents many risks to the concept of doctor-patient confidentiality. Psychiatrists must carefully consider any guarantees of confidentiality made to patients and must discuss the limits of confidentiality when obtaining consent for treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Ontario. graham.glancy@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Glancy
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Regehr
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Bryant
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D003219:Confidentiality / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003419:Crisis Intervention; D017007:Duty to Warn / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans