Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

Doctors and other medical professionals have a duty to keep patient information private and refrain from disclosing it to third parties without your consent. A doctor or medical professional who breaches this duty by disclosing confidential information, including your medical records, may be liable to you for damages for any embarrassment or other injury you suffer from the disclosure. This type of lawsuit is also considered medical malpractice, and an attorney in Tampa can help you if you feel doctor-patient confidentiality has been violated.

There are many exceptions to the rule that medical information and records must be kept confidential.

Health insurance companies usually require patients to waive the right to confidentiality when making a claim for medical coverage.

If a patient sues a medical professional for malpractice, the patient’s medical records and information may become evidence in the lawsuit.

Many states have statutes and other rules requiring medical professionals to report certain kinds of patient information to authorities, from reporting the incidence of certain communicable diseases, to incidents of child abuse and gunshot wounds.