Define Confidentiality.

Confidentiality refers to the ethical and legal obligation to protect sensitive information shared by individuals in a professional or personal context from unauthorized disclosure or access. It involves maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of personal, medical, financial, or other confidential information entrusted to an individual or organization, ensuring that it is kept secure and disclosed only to authorized individuals or entities with a legitimate need to know.

In healthcare settings, confidentiality is a fundamental principle that governs the relationship between healthcare providers and patients. It ensures that patients can trust their healthcare providers to keep their personal and medical information confidential, fostering open communication, trust, and cooperation in the healthcare process. Healthcare professionals are bound by professional codes of ethics, laws, and regulations to uphold patient confidentiality and protect patient privacy, except in limited circumstances where disclosure is required by law or necessary to prevent harm to the patient or others.

Maintaining confidentiality also extends to other professional contexts, such as legal, financial, and counseling services, as well as personal relationships and business dealings, where individuals may share sensitive information with an expectation of privacy and discretion. Violating confidentiality can have serious consequences, including breach of trust, legal liabilities, damage to professional reputation, and harm to individuals' privacy and well-being.