Confidentiality?

Post Reply New Topic

So I got my psychoeducational and ASD assessment report back and I kind of feel I just want to share it with people and discuss it with them.

Now, on the front page, it says "confidential". What does that mean exactly? Does it imply that it's problematic to share something like that, and if so, why exactly?

Just curious.

vital stuff in there about your needs, personal life and the way you function. you probably wouldn't want any unqualified bloke getting in there. they would need your consent to disclose certain information to say, insurance companies, but they would be required by law to disclose some info to legal guardians that one may personally not want disclosed, if one is a minor.

It means no one can read it without your consent (your doctor can too, and also others if they get a warrant for its release--like if something in it is relevant to a criminal investigation).

it is there for everyone else; if you find a text marked 'confidential' that means you should not read it without express permission from the one it is addressed to/owned by.
the doctor (in this case) is assumed to have this permission, since he wrote the document, but everyone else needs your permission.

of course, you are free to discuss and/or hand out this document to anyone and everyone you see fit, but they are not allowed to do the same; even your doctor needs your permission to share the contents of the report with a colleague.

the primary reason it is written so explicitly on the front page is for the mailman; i is possible that the envelope opens somehow (rain, tearing, low-quality glue), and this first page tells them to make sure it is reclosed and not read (like with a holiday postcard or whatever, those are free to be read should they be open)

I'm not sure about what the law says in Canada, but I would think it would only prevent your therapist from disclosing anything in it without your consent. I think you're free to show it to anyone.

In the US we have HIPAA, and that's the way it works. In order for a provider to disclose it, they have to receive a signed consent form from you.

Okay, this makes a lot of sense. Thanks.

I am not sure what someone would do with information about my developmental and life history. Of course I wouldn't show it to shady people, just friends I trust and people at autism services who work with me.

I was handed over the report, so it didn't come through the mail.