Dealing with Confidential Information

I am doing my cardio-respiratory placement on a general medical ward, and during the first week of this placement, there was a dearth of cardio patients on the ward. There were only two patients this week on the ward for cardio-pulmonary related diagnoses, so understandably I was keen to get started.

On the Tuesday of the placement my supervisor encouraged me and the other student to practice our subjective and objective questioning. Reading through one patient’s notes revealed that the patient had developed metastases throughout the lungs, which was a relapse of a previous cancer that the patient had survived. It said in the notes that the patient had not yet been made aware of the condition, and was to be told the following day by the treating consultant.

I felt very awkward knowing this information, yet being required to perform subjective and objective assessments on the patient who wasn’t aware of the diagnosis. I wasn’t sure how I would react. On the Wednesday the other student and I went in to see the patient with our supervisor, and were about to begin the initial assessment. We introduced ourselves to the patient, who was willing to participate in the treatment. This was prior to the patient being told by the consultant.

Unfortunately, as we were about to begin, the consultant came in to see the patient, and we left to treat other patients on the ward. We came back later, however the nurse told us that the patient was in the process of telling their partner, and was very upset. The consultant also told our supervisor that the patient was not for physio at this stage.

This incident made me reflect on how I coped with confidential information, and also on how patients cope with critical illness. It was unfortunate that we were unable to treat this patient, however, when we introduced ourselves to the patient I felt comfortable with the knowledge that I had and knew that I would keep that information confidential. We still haven’t had an opportunity to treat the patient.