Ethics in medicine have been in existence for a long time since they are helpful in ensuring that medical health practitioners offer the best services to their patients while upholding their dignity as humans. Of all the fundamental principles of ethics in the practice of medicine, that of respect for privacy of patient information has been a center of debate in the US and abroad for a long time. For example, there have been circumstances in which the right to confidentiality has interfered with the treatment and intervention process that would have been helpful. In his work, Privileged Information, Stephen White appears to criticize the continuing relevance of the principle of confidentiality in the practice of medical psychology. For instance, while he considers that such a principle is fundamental in medicine, he appears to call for a review on the circumstances provided by standards of ethics such as the American Psychological Association concerning the disclosure of confidential information. The argument that seems to appear in White’s work is the fact that disclosure may help in dealing with critical conditions and that the burden of confidentiality affects the well-being of medical psychologists.
First, White recognizes the fact that ethics play a critical role in defining the relationship between patients and practitioners. He does this through mentioning the fact that Alan Gregory, the main character in the novel, carries around a publication of the American Psychological Association (White, 2001). By this scenario, the author serves to remind the medical health officers that they should always strive to uphold the highest standards of ethics in their work because it is their professional obligation and a requirement by law. The later aspect of legal forces in the enforcement of ethics is manifest in the fact that Gregory was subject to an investigation for the death of one of his patients called Karen Hart (White, 2001). While it is not mentioned, it can be argued that the investigation resulted from the fact that Gregory might have failed to uphold the best standards of ethics in his encounter with the patient. Therefore, according to White, ethics are necessary for the professionalism of medical health practitioners and as a compliance to the law.
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However, White satirizes the effect to which some codes of ethics affect the practice of healthcare. He aims at letting his readers realize that the circumstances of disclosure of information to third parties need reviewing. For instance, even while he suspects one of his patients, Michael McClelland for the murder of two other patients, he does not have the courage to report such information. In this issue, the seal of silence that medical psychologists are supposed to uphold works in line with the ethics of confidentiality of patient information. McClelland had also been admitted to Boulder’s mental health facility, and had been placed under the care of Gregory. While Gregory understands that McClelland might have been a perpetrator of the death of Hart, he fears to talk about it since such talks would prompt him to give an account of his mental health status. The seal of silence, therefore, results in the murders of the two other patients. Therefore, according to the author, the regulatory bodies should reconsider the circumstances under which medical health practitioners may be allowed to disclose patient information to third parties.
The novel also depicts the burden that medical health officers might meet in their strict adherence to the codes of ethics. For example, White paints a picture of Alan Gregory who does not have peace in his life because of the psychological torture he undergoes. First, his wife leaves him, and then his dog is run over by a car. Even while these events have no direct connection to the issue of ethics, they contribute in the deterioration of his psychological well-being. He attempts to engage in a romantic life by dating Deputy Attorney in Boulder, Lauren Crowder, but fails to sustain the relationship when he learns that she was suffering from multiple sclerosis (White, 2001). The issue becomes burdensome since Crowder fears that he was likely to disclose such information to others, which might result in her layoff since her profession required people of proper mental health statuses. Gregory concedes and moves on, but undergoes additional psychological torture when McClelland tracks him in Mexico while on an investigative duty and molests him. Gregory realizes that he could not talk about any of such events since it would entail revealing confidential information to unauthorized parties. Therefore, according to White, upholding the ethical standard of confidentiality through the seal of silence puts medical psychologists under unnecessary burden.
In conclusion, Stephen White recognizes that the codes of ethics in medical psychology play a critical part in defining the relationships between patients and practitioners. He considers that practitioners should stick to the standards of ethics set by regulatory bodies to enhance their professionalism and avoid legal circumstances. However, he takes a dig at the circumstances under which disclosure is permitted. According to him, the restrictions on disclosure of information might prove costs to patients and the medical officers since they delay interventions that would have reversed adverse outcomes. In addition, Stephen White suggests that sticking to the seal of silence in medical professionalism places an extra burden of confidentiality to medical officers, which affects their well-being. Therefore, there needs to be a review of the circumstances of disclosure defined under the standards of confidentiality.
Reference
White, S. (2001). Privileged information . Pinnacle Books.
