Patients wish to keep a secret visit to the doctor for various reasons. You made an appointment, and you have a general (medical) secret, that is, information that the doctor does not have the right to tell anyone else. All information about the state of health, test results, general information about the patient is a medical secret, which is protected by the law "On the Basics of Protecting the Health of Citizens in the Russian Federation."
Who has access to information?
Medical students undergo practical training, have access to patient records, they are not doctors yet, but they are already dedicated to the circumstances of treatment. Young professionals are required to remain silent about the information received. To train medical students, teachers can use the personal data of patients only with their consent. Scientific research in medicine for a comparative analysis of the course of the disease, treatment methods and test results is impossible without access to relevant information. The law provides that the name and surname of patients are not published in the results of scientific research.
Citizens who are recognized as legally incompetent are deprived of the right to demand the preservation of their medical confidentiality. The representative of interests or the guardian, together with the doctor, acts in the interests of such a patient, decides on treatment methods, and decides on hospitalization. The permission for the operation is signed not by the patient, but by the guardian, who is thus attached to the secret. The patient allows a certain circle of people to get acquainted with the medical information and informs the attending physician about it. A shared secret based on trust is used to improve the quality of treatment.
Ways to hide information
Relatively recently, an encoding of diseases was introduced, designed to slightly lower the veil of secrecy over diagnoses and other medical information. Previously, the diagnosis was written down on the sick leave, now digital coding is used. Women after artificial termination of pregnancy asked in the hospital to write another diagnosis out of a feeling of intimate shame. They did not want publicity. Citizens also prefer to keep silent about a visit to a proctologist, venereologist and other specialists for various reasons. The digital designation in the sick-list realizes the patient’s right to avoid unnecessary and unpleasant questions.
Diagnosis coding is based on the International Classification of Diseases, approved by the World Health Organization at the 43rd World Health Assembly, held in 1990 in Geneva.
Disclosure
There are conditions when medical secrets can be disclosed even in the absence of human consent. A list of these conditions is specified in article 13 of the above law. Here is the list. Medical confidentiality may be disclosed:
- If a person cannot (is not able) to express his will and he does not have those who can represent him.
- In the case of a real threat of the spread of infection, mass poisoning or infection. The threat of an epidemic of especially dangerous infections is the reason not to keep secret information about others known to the citizen. Fulfillment of anti-epidemic requirements does not depend on the wishes of patients. Treatment is mandatory and quarantine rules are followed in order to localize the source of infection. The designation of the boundaries of the infected area is accompanied by information signs prohibiting travel and passage. Persons who violate the border are subject to compulsory quarantine. The validity period of the quarantine is determined by the doctor; he has the right to prohibit communication with healthy individuals in order to prevent an increase in the source of infection.
- During investigative or judicial proceedings, prosecutorial supervision or in the execution of criminal sentences.
- When monitoring people who use psychoactive substances without a doctor’s prescription, if the court ordered the person to undergo treatment.
- In the treatment of a minor patient. Information can be obtained by the parents or legal representatives of this minor.
- If someone receives damage to health due to illegal actions. In this situation, data can be transferred to the police.
- During the military medical examination conducted in connection with the passage of military (equivalent to her) service.
- Upon an accident at work, at a school, institute, other educational institution, organizations engaged in sports training, as well as at competitions.
- If medical organizations exchange information with each other.
- When social insurance (accounting, control).
- When controlling the quality and safety of medical activities.
Honey. organizations comply with the above law as follows: when contacting a medical organization, the patient usually receives the form that he is asked to sign - informed consent to the processing of personal data.
This is the very consent required by law.
And finally ... If you sign any paper, it is better to read this paper before signing.