The unauthorized disclosure or exposure of a patient's personal information.

The unauthorized disclosure or exposure of a patient's personal information.

• A. Invasion of Privacy
• B. Libel
• C. Slander
• D. Negligence

Answer: (A)

The concept being tested is protecting patient privacy. The unauthorized disclosure or exposure of a patient’s personal information is a breach of confidentiality, which healthcare professionals are ethically and legally obligated to avoid. Keeping patient information confidential means sharing it only with those who have a legitimate need to know and obtaining proper permissions; exposing it to others or in public settings violates trust and privacy standards. This idea is different from defamation, which involves making false statements that harm someone’s reputation (written defamation vs. spoken defamation). It also isn’t about the level of care provided; negligence refers to failing to exercise reasonable care, which can cause harm but isn’t specifically about exposing private information.

The concept being tested is protecting patient privacy. The unauthorized disclosure or exposure of a patient’s personal information is a breach of confidentiality, which healthcare professionals are ethically and legally obligated to avoid. Keeping patient information confidential means sharing it only with those who have a legitimate need to know and obtaining proper permissions; exposing it to others or in public settings violates trust and privacy standards.

This idea is different from defamation, which involves making false statements that harm someone’s reputation (written defamation vs. spoken defamation). It also isn’t about the level of care provided; negligence refers to failing to exercise reasonable care, which can cause harm but isn’t specifically about exposing private information.