Patient confidentiality: implications for teaching in undergraduate medical education.

Respect for patient confidentiality is one of the core concepts of professionalism and should have high priority in medical education. Confidentiality should be introduced early in the curriculum so that students understand their ethical, professional, and legal obligations throughout their medical studies and later professional career. Anatomists have important opportunities for teaching professional values including confidentiality and should be major contributors to a multidisciplinary teaching on professionalism. Students should make a formal commitment to and be assessed on patient confidentiality in the context of professionalism. A Faculty development program on confidentiality and data protection will inform and support teachers in delivering these objectives. It is recommended that medical schools have a policy on patient confidentiality and a disciplinary procedure for the management of students who breach patient confidentiality. Copyright (c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.