Prof. Andrzej Matyja, erstwhile president of the Chief Medical Council, accuses the spokesperson of the Chief Medical Chamber, Jakub Kosikowski, of violating medical confidentiality in social media. The case concerns the public disclosure of information on the state of wellness of erstwhile Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobry. The doctor himself denies the allegations and defends his entry as a motion of defence against the hate. Has medical confidentiality truly been breached? Let us look at the details of this controversy.
Medical confidentiality under the microscope
Both the law and the Code of Medical Ethics in Poland explicitly prohibit the disclosure of information on the condition of patients without their express consent. Prof. Andrzej Matyja claims that Jakub Kosikowski broke this regulation erstwhile he publically commented on Zbigniew Ziobry's wellness on platform X (formerly Twitter). Kosikowski, in his entry, referred to the hatred that met the erstwhile minister after he had revealed the same information about the disease.
Kosikowski, a resident of oncology, argues that he did not break the medical secret due to the fact that Ziobro had previously publically informed himself about his condition. The post Ziobry dated 16 March, published on the X platform, talked about fighting the disease, encouraging others to survey preventive. Kosikowski, in consequence to the hatred in the network, intercede for the erstwhile minister, explaining that Ziobro does not simulate his illness.
Is this a breach of secrecy?
According to prof. Matya, even if the patient publically informs about his illness, the doctor should not repeat it. Matyja emphasizes that, in particular, a individual with public functions, specified as the NIL spokesman, should be highly careful in his or her comments on patients' health.
Jakub Kosikowski defends his position, arguing that his entry did not violate any rules, as he simply referred to publically available information which Ziobro himself had previously revealed. He besides claims that his comment was intended to defend the patient from unjust hate.
Investigation
The investigation into Kosikowski is conducted by the territory Ombudsman of Professional work at the territory Medical Chamber in Kielce. The proceedings were initiated as a consequence of a notification made by Prof. Andrzej Matyja and Robert Stępnia, president of the Regional Medical Council in Krakow. The case went to the spokesperson for professional work due to suspicion of unethical conduct involving violation of medical secrecy.
Kosikowski published a decision to initiate proceedings on his X-platform profile, which sparked a further discussion on the professional ethics of doctors and the function of social media in the context of patient data protection.
Medical reactions
The sentences in the medical community are divided. On the 1 hand, doctors from the territory Medical Chamber in Krakow, headed by prof. Matyja, say that there has been a breach of professional ethics. Matya points out that regardless of the circumstances, doctors must observe medical secrecy in any case, even erstwhile the patient has made public his wellness information.
On the another hand, Kosikowski gains support among younger colleagues in the manufacture who defend his actions as compatible with medical ethics. The case besides took a generational dimension, as Kosikowski himself emphasizes in 1 of the entries on X, suggesting that older colleagues from the local government are trying to punish a fresh generation of doctors who are making changes in the functioning of the local government.
What will be the outcome?
The case is presently pending, and the decision on a possible punishment for Kosikowski will be taken by a professional liability spokesperson. Prof. Matyja, despite the complaint, points out that he does not anticipate severe punishment for a doctor, but simply wishes to draw attention to the request to observe the principles of medical secrecy.
Kosikowski, waiting for a ruling, maintains his position and announces that he will mention to the case more broadly after his resignation or judgment.
Summary
Jakub Kosikowski's case is another example of how delicate the boundary between protecting patients' privacy and the freedom of speech of doctors on social media is. Although Kosikowski argues that he acted to defend the patient, for any representatives of the medical community his conduct raises doubts. No substance how this case ends, 1 thing is certain – medical secrecy remains 1 of the foundations of medical ethics, and its violation, even in the age of social media, must be treated with the highest seriousness.
Continued here:
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