[nagdu] confidentiality

[Julie J]

Jenine,

I've been thinking about this a lot.  I haven't come up with any brilliant 
insights.  I do think anyone should have total and unrestricted access to 
their own records from any facility, whether that is a guide dog program, 
mental health provider, doctor or educational institution.  I also believe 
that the person has the right to share those records with whomever they 
choose.  But that brings us to the sticky part.  I don't think that third 
party should be sharing that information with whomever and wherever they 
feel like it, without express permission.  But that's an ethical issue, I 
don't know what the legal answer would be.

At work when I have clients sign release of information forms, I specify 
what the information will be used for and what I can do with it.  Along with 
that release of information is a confidentiality agreement that more clearly 
spells out how information is shared.

Interesting stuff
Julie


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jenine Stanley" <jeninems at wowway.com>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2011 3:10 PM
Subject: [nagdu] confidentiality


>I have a question for those wanting full disclosure of situations involving
> third parties to this list.
>
> If someone had an issue with a rehabilitation center, any rehabilitation
> center, but particularly one of the NFB centers, could he or she obtain 
> his
> or her own personal records, say to prove staff conflicts. Could a third
> party acting as advocate then pass details of those records along to 
> public
> email lists or hold other kinds of discussions about them without
> jeopardizing any legal action?
>
> I honestly do not know the answer to these questions so am posing them 
> here
> for the more learned minds. It would seem to me that regardless of the
> agency, you are asking, and by "you" I mean anyone who believe he or she 
> has
> the right to read someone else's records, with or without that person's
> permission, to have complete access to any personal records of anyone in
> question. Consider how you might feel if your own personal records with 
> any
> agency, guide dog school, rehabilitation center, mental health facility,
> medical facility, were leaked or otherwise made openly available.
>
> Yes, it might lead to some uncovering of poor policies, staff 
> inappropriate
> behavior, etc., but it could also lead to much sensitive information about
> individuals being aired publicly in a less than completely objective 
> manner
> to a less than objective audience.
>
> Just something to consider.
> Jenine Stanley
> jeninems at wowway.com
>
>
>
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