The management of confidentiality in general medical practice: a comparative study in the U.S.A. and The Netherlands

This paper describes the results of two studies in New Jersey and the eastern part of the Netherlands into the management of confidentiality among physicians in general medical practice. The physicians were presented with vignettes about confidentiality and were asked what course of action they would pursue. The results suggest that the physicians in New Jersey are less willing to disclose information without the patient's consent to insurance physicians or occupational health physicians than their Dutch colleagues. However, in more conflicting situations the American physicians tend to favor more disclosure of information than their Dutch counterparts. Explanations of these differences include aspects of the legal system in New Jersey and the Netherlands.