Confidentiality

Confidentiality is not an absolute right. It may be breached, for
example, if there is a risk of serious harm to others. In practice,
however, it can be difficult to assess what constitutes serious
harm. There is the potential for conflict between an
individual’s right to privacy and his or her genetic relatives’
right to know information of relevance to themselves.
Occasionally patients are reluctant to disclose a genetic
diagnosis to other family members. In practice the individual’s
sense of responsibility to his or her relatives means that, in
time, important information is shared within most families.
There may also be conflict between an individual’s right to
privacy and the interests of other third parties, for example
employers and insurance companies.