Confidentiality for whom?

Abstract

Confidentiality has been argued to be a cornerstone both of medical and social research encounters, particularly because of the protection it offers for patients and informants. In practice the idea of confidentiality is fractured. Professional interests in the organisation of medical work, and concerns for the collective interest amongst social researchers may lead to individual confidentiality being undermined. In addition discrepancies in the ethical positions and practices of social researchers and those in biomedicine may produce further problems for the maintenance of confidentiality.