Final answer:
Mark Siegler advocates for limited disclosure regarding medical confidentiality, suggesting that there are ethical grounds for healthcare providers to breach confidentiality under specific conditions to prevent harm. HIPPA regulations stipulate that patient information should remain private, which complicates decisions related to disclosing information about communicable diseases to at-risk individuals without patient consent.The correct option is C.
Step-by-step explanation:
When it comes to confidentiality, Mark Siegler argues for C) For limited disclosure in the context of medical ethics. The principle of limited disclosure acknowledges that while confidentiality is crucial, there may be circumstances under which it is ethical for a healthcare provider to breach confidentiality in a controlled manner, such as to prevent harm to others. For example, in a scenario where a patient has a sexually transmitted disease, the healthcare provider must balance the patient's privacy rights with the sexual partner's right to know about potential risks. The decision may indeed depend on the severity of the disease and whether harm to the partner can be prevented. According to HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) rules, disclosing patient information without consent could be seen as a violation, so handling such situations requires careful consideration of legal, ethical, and professional standards.
In cases involving adolescents seeking confidentiality concerning their sexual health, physicians are faced with the challenge of whether to inform the parents or not. This not only impacts the adolescent's trust and willingness to seek help in the future but also involves the parent's right to be informed about their child's health. The need to maintain trust with the patient while adhering to legal obligations and ethical considerations makes these situations particularly complex.