Which statement best distinguishes privacy and confidentiality in healthcare?

Which statement best distinguishes privacy and confidentiality in healthcare?

• A. Privacy refers to the patient's right to control access to their information; confidentiality refers to the obligation to protect information from unauthorized disclosure.
• B. Privacy is the obligation to protect information; confidentiality is the right to control access.
• C. Privacy and confidentiality are the same.
• D. Privacy is about data integrity.

Answer: (D)

Privacy is about the patient’s right to control who can access their health information and how it is used. Confidentiality is the obligation of health professionals and organizations to protect that information from unauthorized disclosure once it has been collected. The best statement captures this distinction: privacy = right to control access, confidentiality = duty to protect information from disclosure. Data integrity, on the other hand, concerns the accuracy and consistency of data over its lifecycle, not the control of access or protection from disclosure.

Privacy is about the patient’s right to control who can access their health information and how it is used. Confidentiality is the obligation of health professionals and organizations to protect that information from unauthorized disclosure once it has been collected. The best statement captures this distinction: privacy = right to control access, confidentiality = duty to protect information from disclosure. Data integrity, on the other hand, concerns the accuracy and consistency of data over its lifecycle, not the control of access or protection from disclosure.