Confidentiality and Disclosure

Learning expereinces-4

A friend walked into my office this morning, saying, ' let me tell you something confidential'. I replied, 'Why are you telling me if it is confidential?'. For the next few minutes we were on this topic, 'can we disclose what is supposed to be confidential?'. We realized that it is one of the common discourtesies we show to others, who trust us with some privileged information. 

We are constantly hearing and reading privileged information now a days in the public domain. The investigative journalism, the Right to Information Act, phone tapping, hidden cameras etc. have made many matters open to public. The  intelligence net work accesses a lot of information, which used to be hidden from the public earlier.  There is a deliberate effort to reveal affairs of prominent people,  which is currently  a major media activity. The journalists argue in favor of this to fix people for their indulgence in corrupt practices and nepotism. This is pursued presumably to enhance accountability in public life. What is most disturbing is how the same methods are used to explore the private life of important people. It is a media obsession to promote sensational disclosure to gain publicity. 

Sometimes I feel sick of disclosures which dehumanize people by laying their lives bare before the public eye. Let me suggest five guidelines about confidentiality and disclosure:

1. Sharing  confidential information for public good. A doctor has to share the confidential information about the HIV status of a patient to the rest of his team, before he or she is taken up for surgery, to take all precautions to protect themselves and others. There was an attempt to contaminate the drinking water reservoir in a hospital campus by some disgruntled staff. One person among them, knowing its terrible consequences to hundreds of patients and residents in the campus, conveyed this to the authorities. This saved a disaster. An information which has the potential to harm others, looses its privileged status.

2.Permission to  disclose  confidential information. We may come across a confidential information from a public domain. Such an information may have come to us unsolicited in which case, we are less accountable about its confidentiality. Instead, if a friend has shared a confidential information, we are committed to uphold his or her trust in us. We can divulge such an information only with permission from the friend. It is a breech of trust, if we ignore the confidence reposed on us. However, it is equally important to refuse receiving any information from friends, when keeping it confidential is a burden.

3. Confidential information and conscience. It is common for me to receive information about discord within families when I have personal interviews with children, husband, wife, or other members of the family. I recently came across an adolescent boy suffering from substance abuse, about which his parents had no knowledge. It was a disclosure which the child made on my promise to keep it confidential. I felt morally responsible to help his parents to become close to their son to get to know about his habits and friends. Three weeks later, the family came back seeking help for their son's substance abuse. I could not have silenced my conscience, having known the seriousness of the issue.  I was obliged to help the family to discover it, without letting down the trust the boy reposed on me. We must yield to the voice of our conscience in such occasions to foster larger good, with utmost respect to our contract to respect the desire of the discloser.

4. Clarification of leaked confidential information. It is common for people to know portions of a confidential information or make assumptions. In fact, what is being circulated may be almost opposite of the facts or a gross misrepresentation of facts. Being aware of it, one may be tempted to correct the circulating information or fill in the missing details.This is best avoided. We are not responsible for someone else's misrepresentation. Instead, we are obliged to keep confidentiality, till we have been given permission by the person who entrusted us with the confidential information, to clarify the wrong information which is circulating. 

5. Confidentiality as a way of life. We come across many facts and truths about people during our involvements. Some of them may carry a sensational dimension, or a pointer to  someone's private life. Let us not become the source for others to malign or expose people. It is necessary to upbuild people out of compassion and good will, when the confidential information suggests a moral compromise, or a questionable action of a friend. It is here, a direct conversation with the person concerned will be an appropriate step to help that person, to revisit his or her life and actions. It is a gentle way of leading a person out the mess that he or she is likely to land in. 

Keeping confidentiality is a virtue. It is a noble way of relating to others. It is a struggle for most of us. We do better next time when we accept this as a golden rule in relationships. 


M.C.Mathew