Which of the following would represent a loss of confidentiality?
Select one:
a. A nurse discovering your credit score
b. The physician’s assistant reviewing your medical history
c. The business manager reviewing your payment history
d. The physician discovering your test results
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is a. A nurse discovering your credit score.
Confidentiality refers to the protection of personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or sharing. In the context of healthcare, confidentiality is specifically tied to the protection of sensitive medical information. Healthcare professionals, including physicians and nurses, are bound by laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States, which ensure that patient information is kept private unless there is an authorized need to access it.
In this case, a nurse discovering your credit score would constitute a breach of confidentiality because a nurse is not authorized to access financial information unless it is explicitly required for their role (which typically, it is not). Credit scores are sensitive financial data that fall outside the scope of healthcare responsibilities. When healthcare professionals have access to information irrelevant to their role (like a credit score), it represents a failure to maintain appropriate boundaries and confidentiality.
On the other hand, the other options represent standard professional duties:
- b. The physician’s assistant reviewing your medical history: This is part of their role in providing medical care, so it is appropriate.
- c. The business manager reviewing your payment history: This is also part of a business or administrative function in healthcare settings, where billing and financial transactions need to be reviewed.
- d. The physician discovering your test results: Physicians are authorized to review your test results as part of providing medical care.
In summary, a nurse discovering your credit score would be a clear violation of confidentiality because the nurse’s role does not include accessing financial data, which should be kept separate from healthcare information.