Disclosing a celebrity patient’s medical information without consent violates which ethical principle?

• A. Autonomy
• B. Confidentiality
• C. Veracity
• D. Justice

Answer: (B)

Protecting patient information is fundamental in healthcare ethics. Confidentiality means that information learned during care is kept private and not shared without the patient’s explicit permission, except when disclosure is legally required or necessary to protect someone from harm. Revealing a celebrity patient’s medical details without consent breaks this obligation because it exposes private health information to the public, undermining trust and the patient’s privacy rights.

Autonomy relates to the patient’s control over decisions about their own care, including who may know their information, but the specific issue here is the obligation to keep information private. Veracity is about telling the truth, and justice concerns fair and equitable treatment; neither directly addresses the obligation to protect confidential information in the same way.