Medical confidentiality in the digital era: an analysis of physician-patient relations

Lettieri, Gabriela Kato; Tai, Aline Hung; Hütter, Aline Rodrigues; Raszl, André Luiz Torres; Moura, Mariana; Cintra, Raquel Barbosa

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Sumário

Research • Rev. Bioét. 29 (4) • Oct-Dec 2021 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-80422021294515 copy

Medical confidentiality in the digital era: an analysis of physician-patient relations

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

The study analyzes confidentiality in the physician-patient relations, addressing how new technologies, such as social media, influence professional practice, and assessing the professionals’ knowledge regarding situations in which confidentiality can be broken without legal consequences. This cross-sectional, quantitative and exploratory research took place between October and November 2019, involving 116 physicians who answered a structured questionnaire with 19 questions, among which five assessed knowledge on professional secrecy according to the Code of Medical Ethics and the Brazilian legal system. Physicians who answered three or more questions correctly were considered to have satisfactory knowledge on social media use and medical confidentiality (only 55.2% of respondents). Results reveal the importance of continuing medical education, especially regarding medical confidentiality.

Confidentiality; Bioethics; Social media

Variables	Positively in three problem-situations	Positively in two problem-situations	Positively in one problem-situation	Did not answer positively
Age	Positively in three problem-situations	Positively in two problem-situations	Positively in one problem-situation	Did not answer positively
Class 1	19.51%	46.34%	31.71%	2.44%
Class 2	12.82%	58.97%	28.21%	0%
Class 3	25%	55%	15%	5%
Class 4	12.50%	37.50%	50%	0%
p- value=0.0004
Time since graduation
Class 1	20.41%	48.98%	28.57%	2.04%
Class 2	8.70%	52.17%	39.13%	0%
Class 3	22.73%	59.09%	13.64%	4.55%
Class 4	13.64%	45.45%	40.91%	0%
p- value=0.0009
Gender
Female	21.05%	48.68%	28.95%	1.32%
Male	10%	55%	32.50%	2.50%
p- value=0.259
Social media use
No	11.76%	44.12%	44.12%	0%
Yes	19.51%	53.66%	24.39%	2.44%
p -value=0.036
Undergraduate orientation on medical confidentiality
No	10.53%	57.89%	31.58%	0%
Yes	18.75%	48.96%	30.21%	2.08%
p- value=0.435

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E-mail: bioetica@portalmedico.org.br

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[1] Correspondence: Gabriela Kato Lettieri – Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes. Av. Dr. Cândido Xavier de Almeida e Souza, 200 CEP 08780-911. Mogi das Cruzes/SP, Brasil.