As per above scenario, here are specific answers to below questions:
What should you do?
As a health information professional, my main responsibility is to maintain patient confidentiality and adhere to ethical and legal standards. I should not disclose the patient’s HIV status to anyone, including my friend, without the patient’s consent.
As a health information professional, can you tell your friend?
No, I cannot disclose the patient’s HIV status to my friend without the patient’s explicit consent. Doing this may breach patient confidentiality and violate ethical and legal standards.
Can you interfere with other people or family issues?
I think that this is not my role as a health information professional to interfere in personal family matters or relationships as per my main duty is to protect patient confidentiality and secure health information management.
But, should your friend not know about this because she might be at risk?
I must respect the patient’s confidentiality. Encourage the patient to discuss his diagnosis with a healthcare provider and seek professional guidance on how to disclose this information to my friend. The decision to disclose the HIV status should ultimately be made by the patient.
How will you follow the fundamental principles about the right to self-determination, doing good, and doing no harm to others?
I think that I should follow the fundamental principles by respecting the patient’s right to self-determination in making decisions about his health information. Inform him to take steps that would promote his own well-being and the well-being of others, such as seeking medical advice and considering disclosing his status to his partner.
Isn’t it your obligation and the right of the subject to hold the information?
Yes, it is both my professional obligation and the patient’s right to maintain their medical information. All patients have a right to privacy and confidentiality.
In summary, my role as a health information professional is to maintain patient confidentiality in accordance with legal and ethical guidelines and I should not breach confidentiality by sharing this information with others without the patient’s consent.