Doctor–patient confidentiality
The Medical Board of Australia, in its Good medical practice: A code of conduct for doctors in Australia, states ‘a good doctor–patient partnership requires high standards of professional conduct’.6 Among other principles, this involves ‘protecting patients’ privacy and right to confidentiality, unless release of information is required by law or by public-interest considerations’.6
According to this code of conduct, ‘patients have a right to expect that doctors and their staff will hold information about them in confidence, unless release of information is required by law or public interest considerations’.6
