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Patient Public Disclosure of Own Information — SCE Palliative Medicine MCQ

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HardCommunication & EthicsPatient Public Disclosure of Own InformationSCE Palliative Medicine

A patient publishes her own treatment history and names clinicians in a critical blog. How should the clinical team respond to confidentiality and future communication?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: A — Continue normal information sharing with her while keeping the team’s duty of confidentiality

Explanation lettering: E = shown as A · C = shown as B · D = shown as C · A = shown as D · B = shown as E

E is correct. A patient may disclose her own health information. That does not release clinicians from their duty of confidentiality or justify restricting the information needed for consent and care. The team should remain professional, correct misunderstandings privately, document care accurately and use organisational channels for reputational or staff-safety concerns. A compromises informed decision making. B publicly discloses confidential material. C makes care conditional on silencing criticism. D mislabels the patient’s own disclosure. Third-party information and harassment or threats are separate issues requiring proportionate management.

Reference: GMC: confidentiality: https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/confidentiality