title: [Personal experiences of a physician with legal proceedings].
abstract: According to the author's experience with a judicial inquiry, the borderline between the right of the prosecutor to get an insight into the patients file and the right of the physician to refuse the disclosure of the patient's medical history is very much blurred. Even if the inquiry is directed just against an unknown person, a physician should be aware that the Department of Public Prosecution might take stiffening procedural steps to enforce its demand. At any rate, the physician's position to keep the patient's data secret is very weak in such a situation.
authors.affiliation: Kaiserin-Friedrich-Stiftung, Berlin.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hammerstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003219:Confidentiality / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D008297:Male; D008318:Malpractice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D013245:Sterilization, Reproductive / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence