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Can patient confidentiality and privacy exist in the emergency department?
Abstract

Can patient confidentiality and privacy exist in the emergency department?

Pauline Calleja and L Forrest
Australasian Emergency Nursing Journal, Vol.10(4), pp.193-194
International Conference for Emergency Nurses: Future Directions, Future Challenges … Beyond Tomorrow, 6th (Melbourne, Australia, 11-Oct-2007–13-Oct-2007)
2007
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aenj.2007.09.015
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aenj.2007.09.015View
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Abstract

Nursing patient privacy confidentiality emergency department
Patient confidentiality and privacy is an important consideration for nurses and other members of the health care team. Can a patient expect to have confidentiality and in particular privacy in the current climate of emergency health care? Do staff who work in the emergency department (ED) see confidentiality as an important factor when providing emergency care? The ED has long had the reputation of being an entirely different work and treatment environment than other environments in the acute care setting. This is also applicable to how well confidentiality and privacy of people who present to the ED for treatment is maintained. The nature of the ED changes many practices that would be considered usual and expected in other units. Nowhere else is there such traffic of patients, visitors, health professionals and other associated people who have direct access to patient treatment areas. Due to the nature of the environment, visibility and easy access of all patients for as much of the time as possible is a valued safety strategy. While respecting these principles and patient rights is an important aspect of care, upholding confidentially and privacy in the ED is far more problematic than in other clinical settings. This presentation identifies issues encountered with patient privacy and confidentiality in one ED environment. A project was developed at The Townsville Hospital ED to improve patient confidentiality and privacy and identify how this consideration can be best facilitated in the ED. This presentation will report on the results, challenges encountered and the patient outcomes that were targeted by staff in this busy ED.

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