The UCLA Medical Center is facing sanctions from California's Department of Health because several of its employees viewed records of famous patients, patients with whom the employees had no contact or care responsibilities. The employees viewed the records of, among others, Maria Shriver (wife of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger), the late Farrah Fawcett, and Britney Spears. The unauthorized access to the records was uncovered when the story of the late Ms. Fawcett's recurrence of cancer was published in The National Enquirer before Ms. Fawcett had disclosed her health condition to family or friends. Ms. Fawcett's lawyers then notified the hospital of the only possible source of the information. Which category of an ethical breach applies to the conduct of the hospital employees?
A) Committing acts of personal decadence
B) Conflict of interest
C) Divulging information
D) Balancing ethical dilemmas

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The unauthorized access of medical records is a violation of patient confidentiality, which falls under the category of divulging information.

The UCLA Medical Center Is Facing Sanctions from California's Department