1 Ethics and communication
Questions
Regarding medical ethics, if a man is discovered to be hepatitis B or C positive, is it advisable for the physician to inform the wife or sexual contact of the patient?
As a junior doctor, I have to attend many multidisciplinary team meetings. I am concerned about the confidentiality of these meetings as they are attended by a diverse group of healthcare workers.
No. The doctor can only give confidential information to the patient. One would expect, however, that the doctor would counsel the patient, giving advice on his sexual behaviour and safe sex. The patient would hopefully discuss the results with his partner.