Confidentiality Ethical Basis — NDEB AFK MCQ
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Correct answer: E — Respect for patient autonomy and the duty of confidentiality (fiduciary duty)
The duty of confidentiality in healthcare arises from the principle of respect for patient autonomy and the fiduciary (trust-based) nature of the dentist-patient relationship. Patients share personal health information with the expectation that it will be kept confidential. This duty is both ethical (CDA Code of Ethics) and legal (PIPEDA, provincial privacy legislation). Exceptions to confidentiality are narrow and defined by law: mandatory reporting (child abuse, certain communicable diseases), court orders, patient consent, and imminent danger to identifiable third parties.
Reference: Beauchamp & Childress – Principles of Biomedical Ethics, 8th ed., 2019; CDA – Code of Ethics