The Role of History in Debates Regarding the Boundaries of Medical Confidentiality and Privacy

Medical confidentiality and privacy are often given a long pedigree as core issues in medical ethics that can be traced back to the Hippocratic Oath. However, it is only recently that focused historical work has begun to examine and analyse in greater detail how the boundaries of medical confidentiality and privacy have evolved within a variety of cultural contexts during the modern period. Such research illustrates the ways in which this process has been shaped by a range of issues, individuals, interest groups and events; and been influenced as much by pragmatic concerns as by theoretical arguments. This paper presents a case for the merits of promoting further historical work on these topics. It suggests that greater support for, and recognition of, historical research has a number of potential benefits. These include providing meaningful context to current interdisciplinary discussions of the collection and use of patient information; improving knowledge and understanding of the foundations on which current policy and practice are built; and promoting public engagement and understanding of the evolution of medical confidentiality and privacy as complex public interest issues.