Legal implications of employee assistance programs.
Employers who offer EAPs should be aware of their rights as well as the rights of employees. Appropriate steps should be taken to assure that employees are fully informed of the conditions of participating in a program prior to volunteering for treatment. An issue that must be considered is the confidentiality of information arising during the course of treatment. Several court cases involving the physician-patient relationship offer guidelines in this area.
D003219:Confidentiality / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D014481:United States