Ethics case: Confidentiality
You are employed by a company which provides software for the Health industry. A single parent of two pre-teens, you train personnel who operate the Help-Desk systems of several health facilities in the region. You also oversee the installation of the Help-Desk software containing a database of all the records of all the hospitals, clinics, HMOs, laboratories, and physicians in your state. These records carry a good deal of highly personal information on patients and are, of course, private and confidential. The revelation of some of this information to the wrong people could be seriously damaging for those patients. Improper release of this information could, for example, limit their employability, damage their reputations, or restrict their access to health insurance at affordable rates. Part of your job, in fact, is to ensure that confidentiality is maintained by all who use the system while preventing access to those who might misuse it.
Just yesterday you learned of some shocking information. While observing the typical daily operation of the help desk staff in resolving users' questions, you recognized the name of one of the clients called up on the screen. It is the name of your cousin's fiancé, and the entry indicates that he has tested positive for HIV and has received counseling about HIV and AIDS from a local clinic. You and your cousin are very close, and you are certain that she is unaware that her intended spouse has tested positive for HIV. The marriage is only a few weeks away. She would be highly endangered not only after marriage but also in their current relations without this knowledge.
Do you reveal this information to your cousin but violate the privacy and confidentiality you have sworn yourself to and are legally obliged to maintain, or do you keep the information to yourself but jeopardize the health and life of your cousin by preserving the deception by her fiancé?
Discussion
In your discussion, consider whether your actions would be different if the information was only about a neighbor on your block. Would this make a difference in your decision to disclose or not?