What is confidentiality in the Code of Ethics?

Asked by: Alyson McKenzie  |  Last update: August 17, 2025
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The ethical duty of confidentiality refers to the obligation of an individual or organization to safeguard entrusted information. The ethical duty of confidentiality includes obligations to protect information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, modification, loss or theft.

What is the ethical concept of confidentiality?

Generally, however, confidentiality refers to keeping information or knowledge secret, preventing unauthorised access to personal information. It also includes how information is collected, handled and used and who has access to it.

What is confidentiality in professional ethics?

Professionals are not allowed to share confidential information their clients discuss with them. This is called the duty of professional secrecy. This duty exists so people can open up freely if they need help, and professionals can take whatever steps are necessary.

What is the meaning of confidentiality?

The term 'confidentiality' means preserving authorized restrictions on access and disclosure, including means for protecting personal privacy and proprietary information.

What are the four ethical principles of confidentiality?

The 4 main ethical principles, that is beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice, are defined and explained. Informed consent, truth-telling, and confidentiality spring from the principle of autonomy, and each of them is discussed.

CPA Code of Ethics Fundamental Principles - Confidentiality (outdated)

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What is the code of ethics for confidentiality?

The Code of Ethics identifies the confidentiality of information pertaining to clients, patients, students, and research subjects as a matter of ethical obligation, not just as a matter of legal or workplace requirements.

What are the basic principles of confidentiality?

Principles of confidentiality:

Information can be shared on a need to know basis if it is in relation to keeping a person or persons safe from significant harm or abuse. The information shared should only be the relevant information. Police do not have a right to access information without following procedures.

What is a good example of confidentiality?

What are examples of Confidential Information? Examples of confidential information include a person's phone number and address, medical records, and social security. Companies also have confidential information such as financial records, trade secrets, customer information, and marketing strategies.

How do you explain confidentiality?

Confidentiality means protecting personal information. This information might include details of a service user's lifestyle, family, health or care needs which they want to be kept private.

What is considered confidentiality?

Confidential information refers to information that is meant to be kept secret within a certain circle of people and not intended to be made public. Proprietary information relates to property or ownership, as proprietary rights.

What is the general ethical duty of confidentiality?

The duty of confidentiality encompasses all information relating to the representation. Under the rule, unauthorized disclosure is permit- ted only in specific circumstances, such as to prevent death or bodily harm, to prevent a crime or fraud, or to comply with law or court order.

Why is confidentiality so important?

Confidentiality preserves individual dignity, prevents information misuse, and protects autonomous decision making by the patient.

When should confidentiality be broken?

This is called 'breaking confidentiality'. It should only happen if: There are concerns that you're at risk of serious harm or you're in danger. For example, if you've told someone that you're being abused, they may need to share this to make sure you stay safe.

What is the professional confidentiality?

Professional confidentiality involves the expressed requirement that a person's information not be divulged in the transaction of professional duties. This can involve an employment application, a resident or student interview, a manuscript in progress, or a nomination for a professional award.

What is an example of a confidentiality issue?

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 the key elements of confidentiality?

Main Elements of a Confidentiality Agreement

The agreement will name the party or parties involved, the items subject to non-disclosure, the duration of the agreement, and the obligations of the recipient(s) of confidential information.

What is confidentiality in ethics?

The ethical duty of confidentiality refers to the obligation of an individual or organization to safeguard entrusted information. The ethical duty of confidentiality includes obligations to protect information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, modification, loss or theft.

What is basic confidentiality?

Typical requirements include not disclosing the object and scope of the discussions between the parties, not using the confidential information other than for the specified purpose agreed to by the parties, and not disclosing the confidential information to persons or entities other than the employees or agents of the ...

What is confidentiality in the workplace?

Confidentiality refers to exercising control over information by making crucial decisions about its accessibility and disclosure. Confidentiality in the workplace involves keeping proprietary information like business information, employee information and client details private.

How would you explain confidentiality?

The definition of confidentiality in health and social care is keeping sensitive information private and respecting someone's wishes. It means that professionals shouldn't share personal details about someone with others, unless that person has said they can or it's absolutely necessary.

What is the golden rule of confidentiality?

A California attorney may only disclose a client's confidential information without informed consent when the attorney reasonably believes it is “necessary to prevent a criminal act” that will likely result in death or bodily harm.

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.

Which is the correct definition of confidentiality?

The process of and obligation to keep a transaction, documents, etc., private and secret, i.e., confidential; the right to withhold information, e.g. medical information, from others.

What is breaking confidentiality?

A breach of confidentiality is when private information is disclosed to a third party without the owner's consent. It can happen accidentally to anyone, from a sole trader or freelancer to a small business owner with several employees.

What are the boundaries of confidentiality?

Confidential information may only be shared without authorisation from the person who provided it, or to whom it relates, if it's in the public interest – ie where not sharing it could be worse than the outcome of doing so.