Under what circumstances can you breach client confidentiality?

Asked by: Dr. Roscoe Kshlerin IV  |  Last update: February 7, 2026
Score: 4.3/5 (71 votes)

Client confidentiality can be broken when there's an immediate threat of serious harm to the client or others (like suicide or homicide), suspected abuse (child, elder, dependent adult), a court order or subpoena, or the client gives explicit consent; these exceptions protect life and public safety, overriding privacy.

Under what circumstances can confidentiality be breached?

Practitioners often advise patients at the outset of treatment as to situations in which confidentiality might be breached. These may include when patients present a danger to themselves or others as well as child and elder abuse reporting.

When can you breach client confidentiality?

Murder, manslaughter, rape, treason, kidnapping, child abuse or other cases where individuals have suffered serious harm may all warrant breaching confidentiality.

What are examples of breaches of client confidentiality?

Breach of confidentiality examples

  • A company laptop containing sensitive client data is stolen.
  • An employee shares confidential information about a client with family or friends.
  • An employee discloses information they deem not to be of a confidential nature.

What are some examples of breach of confidentiality?

Examples of data breaches include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Lost or stolen laptops storing participant information.
  • Lost or stolen USB/thumb drives with unencrypted participant information.
  • Accessing PHI without a business need to know.
  • Any unencrypted PHI sent outside of the Health Sciences Center.

When can doctors breach confidentiality?

22 related questions found

What is the most common breach of confidentiality?

Common breaches include accidental emails, discussing patients in public, and improper disposal of paper records. Technology-related risks involve lost unencrypted devices, sharing on social media, and staff accessing records without authorization.

What are 5 examples of confidentiality?

For example, confidential information may include financial projections, business forecasts, customer lists, employee information, sales, patents, and trade secrets.

What is a breach of client confidentiality?

A breach of confidentiality is when data or private information is disclosed to a third party without the data owner's consent.

What are common examples of privacy breaches?

The most common form of data breach is cybercriminals' unauthorized access to sensitive information. This can occur through phishing attacks, malware infections, or exploiting weak passwords, leaving individuals and organizations vulnerable to identity theft and financial fraud.

What would constitute a breach of confidentiality?

A breach of confidentiality is when private information is disclosed to a third party without the owner's consent.

When to break client confidentiality?

The only scenario in which counselor-client confidentiality can be broken is in situations that necessitate protecting the client or others “from serious and foreseeable harm,” such as suicidal intent.

What are the 7 principles of confidentiality?

The principles are: Lawfulness, Fairness, and Transparency; Purpose Limitation; Data Minimisation; Accuracy; Storage Limitations; Integrity and Confidentiality; and Accountability.

When can confidentiality be breached in care?

Care workers may need to break confidentiality if they suspect a service user will seriously harm themselves or someone else. This doesn't always include self-harm or drug use unless it's believed that the individual might accidentally harm themselves in a life-threatening way, or they don't have full mental capacity.

For which reason do most breaches of confidentiality occur?

Most breaches of confidentiality occur as a result of carelessness and can be avoided by not discussing clients in public areas or with persons who do not have a need to know and through tight control of client records.

What are the three exceptions to confidentiality?

There are three exceptions where confidentiality might be waived without a consent: 1) client is an immediate danger to self or others (i.e. suicide or homicide); 2) there is suspected child or elder abuse, neglect or maltreatment; 3) in legal cases, information may be subpoenaed by the court.

What are the five confidentiality rules?

Five core confidentiality rules involve getting consent, limiting access to necessary personnel, using secure methods (like encryption), understanding legal requirements, and having clear policies for handling sensitive data, ensuring it's only shared when vital for care or legally mandated, not just because you can. These principles focus on protecting private information by controlling its collection, storage, use, and sharing.
 

Which are examples of breaches of client confidentiality?

Common examples of breaches include sending emails with sensitive client information to the wrong person, having conversations about clients that others overhear, leaving client records unsecured, and improperly sharing information with third parties without client consent.

What are five examples of breach of confidentiality?

Here are five examples:

  • Unauthorized Access to Personal Data. When an employee accesses sensitive information about clients or colleagues without permission, it constitutes a breach of confidentiality. ...
  • Inadvertent Disclosure. ...
  • Improper Disposal of Documents. ...
  • Hacking and Cyber Attacks. ...
  • Social Media Sharing.

What are the three types of breaches?

There are three major types of contract breaches: a material breach, a partial breach, and a total breach. A material breach is when one of the parties has done something that results in illegal action against another party's property rights. A partial breach occurs when a contract has not been completed.

When can confidentiality be violated?

A breach of confidentiality can happen in many ways, including: Sharing trade secrets without authorization. Leaking customer or financial data to third parties. Using private information for personal gain or to harm another party.

What are the four notification requirements in the event of a breach of phi?

HIPAA Breach Notification Rule

  • The nature and extent of the PHI involved, including the types of identifiers and the likelihood of reidentification.
  • The unauthorized person (or people) who used the PHI or to whom the disclosure was made.
  • Whether the PHI was actually acquired or viewed.

What causes breach of confidentiality?

Intentional breaches occur when someone knowingly shares confidential information without permission. This could include leaking trade secrets to competitors, selling customer lists to other companies or sharing private information for personal gain. In some cases, an individual reveals client details out of spite.

What are the three reasons to break confidentiality?

Breaching confidentiality is only justified in specific circumstances where there's a severe threat to the patient or others, legal mandates require disclosure or public health concerns require sharing information to prevent harm.

What are 10 examples of sensitive personal information?

Definition of Sensitive Personal Information

  • Racial or ethnic origin.
  • Political opinions.
  • Religious or philosophical beliefs.
  • Trade union membership.
  • Genetic data.
  • Biometric data.
  • Health data.
  • Sexual orientation or sex life.

What are the 5 C's of confidentiality?

Learn about the 5 C's of confidentiality in therapy and when confidentiality can be breached. Communicate, consent, court order, communication of threat, and continued treatment are key factors to consider.