Question: By Reading The Upper Paragraph Ans The Following Ques What Right Do Patients Have To Confidentiality With Their Caregivers?

One Saturday night, I was called to the emergency room to see a patient for one of my colleagues who was out of town. The patient was a 17-year-old girl, a senior at a local high school. She had developed acute lymphoblastic leukemia some years before, but the treatment had resulted in complete remission. Recently, she had relapsed and was again under treatment. The patient’s mother intercepted me before I walked into the examination room to tell me that her daughter did not know of the leukemia diagnosis. She also told me not to tell her. I asked her to explain the situation further. She indicated that when the diagnosis of acute leukemia was initially made, she kept this diagnosis from her daughter. She requested that everyone involved with her care agree to tell the daughter that her problem was unusual anemia. Up to that point, everyone had complied. And when leukemia went into remission, the mother considered this chapter of her daughter’s life to be closed. When I asked her why she chose not to tell her daughter, she said, “I had enough problems to deal with. I didn’t need it anymore.” The mother then asked where I lived. When I replied, she said, “Oh dear! A number of my daughter’s friends live in that area. I’m concerned that they will hear of her diagnosis from you.” I told the mother I was very uncomfortable with the request, but that I would respect her wishes during the weekend. I indicated to her that I would bring my concerns to my colleague when he returned. I supervised the treatment of the patient for the next two days. Upon my colleague’s return, I spoke with him about confidentiality. He decided to conduct a family conference with the family members and other health care providers who were involved in her daughter’s care.