Confidentiality in the age of HIPAA: a challenge for psychosomatic medicine

This review, a work project of The Standards and Ethics Committee of The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, examines the challenges posed for consultation-liaison psychiatrists as they struggle to maintain the trust between patient and physician while balancing compliance with the increasing complexities of confidentiality with the provision of enough information to our medical colleagues for good clinical care. The authors discuss the moral, legal, and ethical issues that arise from the many-layered state and federal regulations, especially the impact of the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) and make recommendations for practical application in the clinical setting.