What is an example where confidentiality would be broken?
Asked by: Kiana Howe | Last update: July 23, 2025Score: 4.1/5 (68 votes)
Here's a confidentiality breach example: you accidentally send sensitive information about a client to another client or a third party who shouldn't have access to it.
What is an example of confidentiality being broken?
Leaving confidential information unattended in a non-secure area. Disclosing confidential information without proper authorization. Discussing confidential information in the presence of individuals who do not have the "need to know' to perform assigned duties. Improper disposal of confidential information.
Where confidentiality would be broken?
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 the situations in which confidentiality can be broken?
Examples of situations where information, normally considered to be confidential, might need to be shared: A person is likely to harm themselves. A person has been, or is likely to be, involved in a serious crime. A person is likely to harm others.
When would confidentiality be broken?
Murder, manslaughter, rape, treason, kidnapping, child abuse or other cases where individuals have suffered serious harm may all warrant breaching confidentiality.
What is Confidentiality? Different types, Examples and breach of confidentiality
What are 5 examples of confidentiality?
- Social Security number.
- Name.
- Personal financial information.
- Family information.
- Medical information.
- Credit card numbers, bank account numbers, amount / what donated.
- Telephone / fax numbers, e-mail, URLs.
What are the 3 reasons to break confidentiality?
- If the client may be an immediate danger to themself or another.
- If the client is endangering another who cannot protect themself, as in the case of a child, a person with a disability, or elder abuse.
- When required to obtain payment for services.
- As required by state or federal laws.
Under what circumstances might confidentiality be broken?
Situations in which confidentiality will need to be broken:
There is disclosure or evidence of physical, sexual or serious emotional abuse or neglect. Suicide is threatened or attempted. There is disclosure or evidence of serious self-harm (including drug or alcohol misuse that may be life-threatening).
What is an example of a confidentiality issue?
- 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.
Which of the following is an example of the breach of confidentiality?
Final answer: The example that represents a breach of confidentiality is discussing patient information in public places, as it involves unauthorized disclosure of patient information. Other options are related to billing fraud rather than privacy violations.
What is an example of loss of confidentiality?
Breach of confidentiality examples
Examples of breach of confidentiality include: Medical records being disclosed to a third party without your consent. An email containing confidential information is sent to the wrong person. An employee discusses their employer's affairs with someone outside of the organisation.
When can a confidentiality agreement be broken?
It is possible to void an NDA if the party signing it had access to the information before formally becoming a signatory. One of the most compelling instances in which an NDA is revocable or “null and void” is when a court order is imposed or a government regulation requires its disclosure.
Under what circumstances are you free to break confidentiality?
- If you present an imminent threat of harm to yourself or others.
- When there is an indication of abuse of a child, dependent adult or elderly adult.
- If you become gravely disabled.
What is a real life example of confidentiality?
A good example of a method for protecting sensitive data and ensuring confidentiality is requiring an account number or routing number when banking online. Data encryption is another common method of ensuring confidentiality.
What are the three exceptions to confidentiality?
- The client is an imminent and violent threat towards themselves or others.
- There is a billing situation which requires a condoned disclosure.
- Sharing information is necessary to facilitate client care across multiple providers.
Which of the following is a violation of confidentiality?
Sharing Information with Unauthorized Individuals: This includes sharing patient information with family members, friends, or other third parties without the patient's consent.
What can confidentiality be broken?
In the workplace, a breach of confidence can take place when a worker, either intentionally or unintentionally, discloses or uses information that could damage the employer's business, clients, or employees. If a worker breaches confidentiality, legal action may be taken against them by their employer.
What is an example of confidentiality bad?
Breach of confidentiality examples include: A freelancer who works for a number of clients in the same industry accidentally emailing confidential business information to the wrong one. Where there is sensitive information on a work laptop and it's stolen.
Which example may illustrate a breach of confidentiality?
Here's some breach of confidentiality examples you could find yourself facing: Saving sensitive information on an unsecure computer that leaves the data accessible to others. Sharing employees' personal data, like payroll details, bank details, home addresses and medical records.
When can confidentiality be broken in social work?
Social workers are required to breach confidentiality if they believe a client poses an imminent risk of harm to themselves or others, or in cases of suspected child or elder abuse. This is a legal exception to confidentiality and varies by jurisdiction.
When can confidentiality be broken in research?
There are ethical or legal limits to confidentiality, for example when a researcher obtains information subject to mandatory reporting, such as evidence of child abuse.
When can patient confidentiality be broken in the USA?
In the USA, there is a prima facie duty to breach confidentiality and warn an identifiable victim where there is a risk of harm from a patient (Tarassoff v The Regents of the University of California [1976] 17 Cal 3d 358).
When can confidentiality be compromised?
A breach of confidentiality occurs when information that is confidential has been disclosed to an unauthorised third party in a situation where there was an expectation that the information would be kept confidential (McDonald & Then 2019).
What are three confidentiality examples?
- Contact details.
- Bank details.
- Medical records and history.
- Personal information such as name, birthday, sex, address.
- Company reports whether sales, financial.
What are the five confidentiality concerns?
The five pillars of information security—Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability, Authenticity, and Non-repudiation—form the bedrock of modern cybersecurity practices. As threats grow more sophisticated, a nuanced understanding of these principles becomes not just valuable, but essential.