On the Couch with Gail Saltz, M.D. | A Mental Health Blog at iVillage.com
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Doctor-Patient Confidentiality
The story of Dr. Phil going to see Britney Spears in the hospital and then speaking about it on television has gotten a lot of attention this week. What is concerning is that people might get the wrong impression about what the "rules" are in terms of doctor patient confidentiality.
Watch the segment from TODAY:
In general, HIPPA regulations prevent all physicians (including psychiatrists) from revealing any information at all about a patient they have seen. Perhaps even more vital is the code of ethics of mental health professionals as a whole (which includes psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers) which states that confidentiality is the CORNERSTONE of any mental health intervention and treatment.
A patient must be able to trust their therapist, and honesty is required to have a valid treatment process going on. This is well understood in my field and upheld in almost every circumstance. Of course mental health professionals are human beings and all human beings can make mistakes. But such a breach of privacy is viewed very badly, and in cases of a psychiatrist or licensed professional, is medical malpractice and breaks the law.
I speak in the media about psychiatry because I believe that the more people understand mental health issues, the more likely they are to get the help they (or someone they know) needs. I never speak about anyone I have seen as a patient. Raising awareness and destigmatizing mental health issues can only serve to benefit us all. When it comes to getting the treatment, however, people need to know that they have every right to expect confidentiality from their treating doctor.
A patient must be able to trust their therapist, and honesty is required to have a valid treatment process going on. This is well understood in my field and upheld in almost every circumstance. Of course mental health professionals are human beings and all human beings can make mistakes. But such a breach of privacy is viewed very badly, and in cases of a psychiatrist or licensed professional, is medical malpractice and breaks the law.
I speak in the media about psychiatry because I believe that the more people understand mental health issues, the more likely they are to get the help they (or someone they know) needs. I never speak about anyone I have seen as a patient. Raising awareness and destigmatizing mental health issues can only serve to benefit us all. When it comes to getting the treatment, however, people need to know that they have every right to expect confidentiality from their treating doctor.
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United States 103 Congress:
Bounty Hunters Act
Reference to: Chapter 89 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: `Sec. 1822. Mental health care provider bounties prohibitedâ
I thought this provision of federal law stopped anyone from advertizing or suggesting mental health services.
Dr Phil is just a quack: a bogus psychologist who is milking his Oprah given fame for all he can until he is exposed. He saw a quick way to boost his ratings and took advantage of the situation without regard for anyone or anything but his own greed. Brittany needs serious help, and her biggest mistake was trusting him to begin with.
It's apparent that Dr. Phil was attempting to "use" the serious situation in the Spears family to his advantage.
His behavior was like a vulture, as he swooped down from his self perceived superior perch.
This pattern is rampant in media. Under the guise of caring individuals, media vultures descend upon vulnerable people who don't realize they're being used to sustain lifestyles of the rich and famous.
These pawns fill the air time that must be addressed every day, every hour, every minute, every second. And who profits from the exploitation of fellow human beings used to fill the empty air..those who cash checks from media organizations. On many of those checks are 6,7 and 8 figure numbers.
There's a good living to be made by taking advantage of people and situations, but how GOOD a LIFE are the media predators living? Many TV hosts reveal their true callous nature when they slip and expose their genuine selves.
To her credit, Dr. Saltz behaves as a professional on air even when others don't.