| Abstract: | The principle of medical confidentiality is described as a venerable moral obligation of medical ethics. It has been defended by utilitarians and deontologists alike, not as a moral end in itself, but as a means to a desirable end such as the general welfare, respect for autonomy, or respect for privacy. Neither philosophers nor codes of medical ethics consider confidentiality to be an "absolute" principle. Great Britain's General Medical Council recognizes eight legitimate exceptions to the rule of confidentiality, among them patient consent, the "best interests" of the patient, statutory obligations, and medical research that has been approved by a "recognized ethical committee." Gillon discusses the ethical justifications for these various exceptions, rejecting appeals to medical paternalism or the benefits of medical research as general grounds for not soliciting patient consent. |
