Marie-Hélène MOUNEYRAT - The Ethics of Secrecy and the Medical Secret

Pouvoirs n°97 - Transparence et secret - avril 2001 - p.47-61

In a society increasingly dedicated to openness, is there still room for an ethics of secrecy, in particular in the medical field ? The absolute nature of the medical secret is increasingly being challenged or could require serious adjustments within the framework of the very special exchange between patients and their doctors, as well as in the newer context of bioethics, in particular in relation to assisted procreation or the computerization of medicine. Even if the notion of the medical secret has certainly led to excesses or abuses, its virtues should not be forgotten, for in many cases it still fulfills the important function of protecting a person’s intimacy, i.e. the ultimate domain of freedom. Résumé

Référence électonique : Marie-Hélène MOUNEYRAT, "The Ethics of Secrecy and the Medical Secret", Pouvoirs, revue française d’études constitutionnelles et politiques, n°97, 2001, p.47-61. Consulté le 02-06-2012. URL : http://www.revue-pouvoirs.fr/The-Ethics-of-Secrecy-and-the.html