Bad education: systematic violation of medical confidentiality in Argentina

Abstract

Violation of medical confidentiality is not only a moral transgression but also a criminal offence according to Argentinian law. However, there are too many cases in local jurisprudence where physicians breach confidentiality to file criminal charges against their patients. These cases are usually dismissed by appeal courts, but allow lesser courts to exert some degree of institutional violence over their victims. I claim that this phenomenon is the consequence of severe deficiencies in medical education, both historical and current, and therefore, I appeal to the local educational community to take actions in order to correct this medical misconduct.