Confidentiality and police request — MCCQE Part 1 MCQ

Correct answer: C — Decline broad disclosure unless legally required/authorised, while offering appropriate process

Decline broad disclosure unless legally required/authorised, while offering appropriate process is best because privacy law protects PHI subject to specified legal exceptions. Breach confidentiality broadly without legal basis is suboptimal because disclosure must be limited to what is legally authorised or clinically necessary; Let family preference override a capable patient is suboptimal because capable patients direct their own care; Refuse to discuss the issue and document nothing is suboptimal because professional practice requires communication and clear documentation; Delay a mandatory report until certainty is absolute is suboptimal because statutory reporting thresholds are often suspicion or reasonable belief, not proof. A police request alone is not always a legal compulsion.

Reference: CMPA privacy and confidentiality guidance