[The professional secrecy of physicians (author's transl)]

Legal requirement concerning confidential medical communication has been an essential item of medical professional ethics for centuries. Today, it is based not only on criminal and procedural but also on constitutional law. The legal requirement of secrecy applies to all knowledge the physician gains in performing his medical duties. These informations must be secret, if they are known to only a limited number of persons. The requirement of secrecy is still in force after the patient's death. Only those personally concerned can release the physician from his professional discretion. The physician can also be justified to speak in special legal situations. In addition, there is a legal requirement of secrecy towards the supervising authority, towards the hospital agency as well as towards colleagues.