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Statutory Disclosure in Article 280 of the Turkish Penal Code

Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey

Serap Sahinolu

Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey

Nüket Örnek Büken

Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey

A new Turkish Penal Code came into effect on 1 June 2005. Article 280 concerns health care workers’ failure to report a crime. This article removes the responsibility from health care workers to maintain confidentiality, but also removes patients’ right to confidentiality. It provides for up to one year of imprisonment for a health care worker who, while on duty, finds an indication that a crime might have been committed by a patient and who does not inform the responsible authorities about it. This forces the health care worker to divulge the patient’s confidential information. A patient who thinks he or she may be accused of a crime may therefore not seek medical help, which is the universal right of every person. The article is therefore contrary to medical ethics, oaths taken by physicians and nurses, and the understanding of patient confidentiality.

Key Words: double responsibility • failure to report a crime • patients' confidential information • Turkish Penal Code

References

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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Büken, E. Articles by Büken, N. O. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Büken, E. Articles by Büken, N. O. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?