In a pretty convincing demonstration that we need better privacy and security protection for sensitive health information, the Royal College of Physicians recently issued this press release on their site:
A majority of doctors would avoid seeking professional advice for mental health issues in an outpatient setting, according to a new survey published by the Royal College of Physicians in the journal Clinical Medicine. Nearly three quarters of respondents said they would rather discuss mental health problems with family or friends, than seek formal or informal advice, citing reasons such as career implications, professional integrity, and perceived stigma of mental health problems.
The survey of over 3,500 doctors in Birmingham is the first of its kind of this scale looking at (non-psychiatric) doctors’ preferences for disclosure and treatment in the event of becoming mentally ill. Key among the findings is that only 13% of respondents would choose to disclose their illness to a GP or another health professional and that when it comes to inpatient treatment, 79% would opt for treatment in either a private or distant facility, rather than be treated by local NHS services. In both cases the decision appears most often to be based around concerns that personal information would not be kept confidential and that this may compromise career and/or reputation.
Read more on RCP’s site.