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CONFIDENTIALITY
Confidentiality is the practice of keeping secure and secret from others, information given by, or about someone, in the course of a professional relationship. Confidentiality is central to maintaining trust between professionals and clients. Confidentiality is owed and obligated to all, including minors and adults who may not have the capacity to make decisions for themselves or others.
Confidentiality applies to any and all forms of transmission: verbal, written, digital, manual or hard copy records, videos and illustrations – wherever this information can be identified with a specific person.
If information is disclosed about an individual to others, this will be considered a breach of confidentiality, only if the information was unknown to the recipient of the information. Confidentiality applies to personal information. There are situations where general types of information may be disclosed without a confidentiality breach. For example, if a person’s relatives know about a situation, discussing it with them does not breach confidentiality. However, discussing the person’s feelings about the issue or situation may be a breach of confidentiality. Confidentiality can be waived with the individual’s consent, usually expressed in writing.
