Which term means keeping patient information private?

• A. Ethics
• B. Documentation
• C. Confidentiality
• D. Health Record

Answer: (C)

Keeping patient information private focuses on protecting what others should not learn about a patient. This is called confidentiality. It’s the obligation of health professionals to share information only with people who have a legitimate need to know or with the patient’s consent. Confidentiality safeguards privacy, supports trust, and is reinforced by laws and professional codes.

Ethics is the broader system of moral principles that guide behavior, which includes confidentiality as a duty but is not itself the act of keeping information private. Documentation refers to the process of recording information, not the privacy of that information. A health record is the actual collection or file of patient data, not the privacy principle that protects it.