Typical of many interactions where private information is shared, Petronio has found that patients and the advocates they bring with them have rarely discussed what can and can’t be revealed. She places the onus on the friend or family member: “Curiously, these informal advocates did not appear to confer with the patient before entering the medical situation to find out when or if the advocate should disclose private medical information.” Having no recognized mutual boundaries and only a vague idea of the patient’s expectations, advocates resort to using their own privacy rules to guide what they say. The result is turbulence and a patient who is often embarrassed or unhappy.
In like manner, doctor–patient confidentiality can be compromised. As one doctor admitted, “When the patient is accompanied by a friend or relative, we’re often unclear about that companion’s function in the interview.” From
the legal standpoint, once the patient invites someone else into the mix, the physician no longer has to be concerned about confidentiality. But the patient may be shocked when his wife hears the doctor reveal alarming test results,
offer a depressing prognosis, or refer to a previous medical condition that she knew nothing about.