Confidentiality in physician-patient relation: the knowledge of medical students

Abstract

Physician-patient relations must follow parameters to ensure autonomy and liberty to both. One such parameter is confidentiality, recognized as a patient right and an obligation of physicians. Hence, this study evaluated student knowledge about medical confidentiality by applying a questionnaire to 409 medical undergraduates (first- to fourth-years). Comparing the median match to the expected answers revealed that first-years achieved the lowest scores on the problem-situations. Results show a clear difference in the degree of knowledge between years, increasing by the second year and maintained until the fourth year.