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Caldicott Principle 1 — MFDS Part 1 MCQ

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ModerateEthics & ProfessionalismCaldicott Principle 1MFDS Part 1

A dental service proposes transferring identifiable patient information to an external provider to analyse missed appointments. Before approving the transfer, the Caldicott Guardian asks the team to apply Caldicott Principle 1. Which action most directly satisfies this principle?

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

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C — Define, scrutinise and document the purpose, and regularly review any continuing use

Option C is correct. Caldicott Principle 1 is to justify the purpose or purposes for using confidential information. Each proposed use or transfer should therefore be clearly defined, scrutinised and documented, with continuing uses reviewed regularly by an appropriate guardian. The other actions are important but correspond more directly to different principles: confirming that confidential information is necessary reflects Principle 2; limiting the information transferred reflects Principle 3; restricting access to those with a need to know reflects Principle 4; and informing patients about uses and choices reflects Principle 8. The current framework contains eight principles, not the seven described in the 2013 version.

Reference: National Data Guardian. The Caldicott Principles, Principle 1: Justify the purpose(s) for using confidential information. 2020. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-caldicott-principles