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Healthcare Management vocabulary · Medical Records and Health Information

Confidentiality

Meaning in healthcare management, with examples

/ˌkɑːnfɪˌdenʃiˈæləti/nounCore term

In healthcare management, confidentiality means: The duty to keep patients' personal and medical information private and to share it only with people who need it for their care or have legal permission.

In Turkish: gizlilik, mahremiyet

How it is used

A legal and ethical duty for all staff. People maintain, protect or breach confidentiality. Staff sign confidentiality agreements, and breaches can lead to disciplinary action and fines under data protection law.

Example sentences

  1. Discussing a patient in the lift is a breach of confidentiality, even if you don't use their name.

  2. All new staff must complete confidentiality training in their first week.

Common collocations

  • patient confidentiality
  • breach of confidentiality
  • maintain confidentiality
  • confidentiality agreement
  • data breachAn incident in which personal data, such as patient records, is lost, stolen, shared with the wrong person or accessed without permission.
  • medical recordThe official record of a patient's health and care, including their history, diagnoses, test results, treatments and the notes written by staff.
  • informed consentA patient's agreement to a treatment or procedure after being told about its purpose, benefits, risks and alternatives in a way they understand.
  • electronic health recordA digital version of a patient's health record that authorised staff can view and update, and that can often be shared between departments and providers.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Medical Records and Health Information

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.