Core IM | Internal Medicine Podcast #199 Privacy & Confidentiality: At the Bedside Segment
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Jan 28, 2026 Gregory Brisson, an internist and ethics educator who researches EHR patient-tracking. Joel Geiderman, an emergency physician and medical ethics leader with duty-to-warn experience. They debate privacy versus confidentiality, legal limits like duty to warn and mandatory reporting, whether students should follow patients in the EHR, and rules for sharing clinical cases online.
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Students Debated Tracking Former Patients
- A medical student admitted to tracking former patients in the EHR for learning and sparked debate among peers.
- Gregory Brisson didn't know the right answer and pursued research with students to clarify policies.
When Duty To Warn Overrides Confidentiality
- Duty to warn arises when a patient poses a specific, serious threat to an identifiable person.
- The Tarasoff ruling balances confidentiality against public safety when public peril exists.
Follow Public Health Reporting Rules
- Report certain infectious diseases and cooperate with public health authorities for contact tracing.
- Know your state laws because reporting duties and required actions vary by jurisdiction.