Travels of a Medical Record and the Myth of Privacy

Abstract

One could say that in general, in Australia today, the concept of patients' confidentiality is strained, and the notion of patients' privacy illusory. The paper traces travels of personal information contained in a medical record created in the process of diagnosis and treatment of disease, from the point of the original medical encounter with the primary carer to the many points outside the therapeutic environment and outside the knowledge of the patient where her or his personal information may be recorded or accessed.

Keywords: Medical Records, Privacy, Confidentiality, Disclosure

JEL Classification: I12, K19, K13