Ethicists commentary on navigating client confidentiality and veterinary integrity in the context of a medical records request
Ethical question of the month, July 2023
You are an equine practitioner who receives a request for medical records for a show horse whose owners are prominent clients of your practice. The requesting veterinarian, a colleague who you know well, works in another province. Although you have never been asked to evaluate the horse for performance issues, you are aware that the horse has a reputation for unpredictable behavior, which includes unseating the rider on several occasions. In the records request, your colleague indicates the potential purchaser is a young girl who is looking to move up to a more competitive mount. How do you navigate your requirement for client confidentiality with your concerns around the safety of the potential buyer, the risk to your colleague given that many horses with poor performance have underlying pain issues, and the general view that veterinarians should not comment on “suitability” of horses during a purchase exam?
Clare Palmer, Peter Sandøe, & Dan Weary comment on this dilemma and you can read it here: Ethicists’ commentary on navigating client confidentiality and veterinary integrity in the context of a medical records request (pdf)