Informed Consent and Confidentiality in Medicine

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Introduction

Any aspect of healthcare professional activity involves conforming to certain rules and regulations peculiar for that sphere. However, there are also some issues that are common for all healthcare organizations or departments. Confidentiality and informed consent belong to the list of such requirements to medical workers. In Al-Rahba hospital laboratories, all employees realize the significance of these issues and the impact of non-compliance on patients’ lives and hospital’s reputation. The current paper will discuss the most crucial norms and regulations concerning confidentiality and informed consent.

Definition of Informed Consent and Confidentiality in Relation to Laboratory Work Practices

Informed consent is the process of obtaining people’s permission to participate in some healthcare intervention (1). In relation to laboratory practice, patients give their permission to sharing the information about their test results with specialists who will evaluate the results and prescribe the necessary treatment methods. It is a crucial requirement for every laboratory worker to make sure that all patients understand their rights. Additionally, customers should be explained what to expect in the case if they do not agree to disclose their results to anyone.

Confidentiality is considered the most crucial factor in defining medical profession (2). Confidentiality is defined as a principle of keeping patients’ information secure from others. This principle is the core standard of medical profession. Due to confidentiality, any medical worker, including laboratory employees, can arrange patients’ privacy and maintain the relationships of trust and understanding between healthcare providers and patients.

In the age of the development of digital technologies, there appear new challenges to confidentiality. Electronic methods of storing and sharing information have made the work of medical workers much easier (2). However, such possibilities have also brought more threats to patient security and data safety. Therefore, it is crucial for all healthcare providers, including laboratory employees, to resort to all possible means of keeping patients’ private data away from any persons or organizations whose possession and use of such information may cause harm for the customers.

Principles and Legislation Underpinning Confidentiality and Informed Consent

Violating patients’ right to confidentiality and informed consent is regulated by legislation. The following UAE federal laws and regulations are employed to govern consent in healthcare settings (3):

Federal Law No. 7 of 1975 concerning the practice of human medicine;
Federal Law No. 10 of 2008 concerning medical liability;
Cabinet Decision No. 33 of 2009 issuing the implementing regulation of federal law No. 10 of 2008 concerning medical liability;
Law No. 23 of 2005 concerning health insurance in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the implementing regulation;
Federal Law No. 27 of 1981 concerning communicable disease prevention;
HAAD health professional policy manual: chapter IV – professional duties;
HAAD health insurer policy manual: chapter VII – HAAD regulation, inspections, complaints, appeals, and sanctions.

According to the mentioned laws and policies, violating the norms of informed consent or patients’ confidentiality is prosecuted by the legislation.

Management of Consequences of not Obtaining Informed Consent in Al-Rahba Laboratories

Whenever an issue of not obtaining informed consent rises in any of the laboratories of Al-Rahba, it is seriously considered by the laboratory’s management and further discussed at other levels of the hospital’s government. If an employee neglects the acquisition of informed consent, there may be different adverse outcomes. A patient may claim that he or she did not agree to have some tests done, and may sue the hospital for revealing some information to the healthcare provider. The importance of obtaining informed consent is not so much in getting a person to sign some papers as in making that person understand why some procedures are done and what outcomes they may cause.

Obtained informed consent means that a laboratory worker has explained to the patient what is going to happen and how the test results will be used for the patient’s benefit. If a lab employee has forgotten to acquire informed consent, he or she is bound to explain the necessity of the performed procedures to the customer to avoid any adverse actions that may harm both the patient and the hospital (4).

Maintaining Professional Confidentiality in Al-Rahba Laboratories

In Al-Rahba laboratories, confidentiality is secured by keeping customers’ information away from anyone except the patients and their healthcare providers. Laboratory employees adhere to the following principles of confidentiality:

patients’ names or any other details are never mentioned in private conversations or public hospital meetings;
customers’ data is not discussed with family, friends, or any other social connections;
all confidential documentation is kept out of reach in separate files or laboratory computers secured by passwords known only to the responsible employee;
no patient information is revealed to any interested agencies or people. It is strictly forbidden for Al-Rahba laboratory employees to answer any organization’s questions as to whether some person is our client or not;
each laboratory worker cherishes patients’ information at the highest level of privacy and does not agree to share it at any cost.

Conclusion

Obtaining informed consent and providing confidentiality of patients’ data belongs to the most significant aspects of medical employees. In Al-Rahba laboratories, every effort is made to provide the most effective patient-provider communication and avoid negative occurrences. The work of laboratory employees is governed by federal laws and regulations violation of which may lead to detrimental outcomes.

References

Groepper D, Bower M. Ethical considerations in the genetic testing laboratory. In: Goodenberger ML, Thomas BC, Kruisselbrink T, editors. Practical genetic counseling for the laboratory. New York: Oxford University Press; 2017. p. 301-320.
Crotty BH, Mostaghimi A. Confidentiality in the digital age. BMJ. 2014; 348(g2943): 35-37.
HAAD guidelines for patient consent. Abu Dhabi: HAAD; 2016. Web.
Griffith R, Tengnah C. Law and professional issues in nursing. 4th ed. London: SAGE; 2017.

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