The concept of patient-doctor-media confidentiality relationship in mass-media

• Published in: Revista românǎ de bioeticǎ Vol. 10; no. 3
• Main Authors: Cananau, Mihaela, Astarastoae, Vasile
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Isai Colegiul Medicilor Iasi 01.07.2012
• Subjects: Confidentiality; Mass media; Physician patient relationships
• ISSN: 1583-5170; 2392-8034

On a daily basis, printed or electronic newspapers present items that contain medical information. They are either news of general interest or professional medical advice and even "sensational" articles, the so-called media release cases. Much better placed on the page, often as off-the-cuff publications or at the website opening for an even greater impact, these "cases" are accompanied by pictures, many times shocking. In terms of journalism, newspaper publishers' explanation is that the press is a product and they have chosen the topic that sells best. Therefore, the study aimed to define very clearly the doctor-patient-journalist-reader relationship of such concepts as the public space, the private space, so where should end the respect of the privacy of an individual and how can it be made public; when, whether and in which context embarrassing facts about a person can be published, the right to publish the name and the image, which is, in fact, the public interest, which is the limit between the right to criticize and slander, how can the right of reply repair a person's image?, is confidentiality a principle that cannot be broken or this should be individualized in each case?, and especially, which are the implications of keeping or not the confidentiality? The concrete objectives of the research which is the subject of this article were: Evaluating the media presentation of medical topics; the sources underlying the documentation of journalists and how can be established the collaborative relationship between them; the impact analysis of the so called interesting cases in the media on the patient-doctor-media-reader relationship.