In a multidisciplinary case conference, which confidentiality practice is ethical?

• A. Share full case notes and all details to ensure care.
• B. Share only necessary information with consent and protect privacy.
• C. Avoid sharing anything to protect privacy.
• D. Share information only with the chair of the meeting.

Answer: (C)

In a multidisciplinary case conference, the ethical approach is to share only information that is necessary for the patient’s care and to obtain consent for sharing beyond what is routinely needed, while actively protecting privacy. This means team members need enough detail to coordinate treatment, identify risks, and plan next steps, but unnecessary or overly sensitive data should be withheld or de-identified. When possible, information should be limited to what is truly needed for care, and any sharing should occur through secure channels with clear patient consent or in line with professional guidelines.

Full case notes and all details would expose more information than is needed and increases privacy risk. Posting or discussing everything can violate confidentiality norms. Conversely, sharing nothing would prevent the team from functioning effectively. Limiting access to only the chair would also be inappropriate, since multiple professionals contribute to the case and require pertinent information to provide coordinated care.