A Minor Confidentiality Issue

Case Study Review: A Minor Confidentiality Issue

For my case study review, I chose case 14 titled, “A Minor Confidentiality Issue”, which shines a light on the serious issues of abuse, something I will probably encounter during my career as a human services worker.

Summary

The case is about a six-year-old boy named Tavion Robinson. His father brought him into Methodist Hospital for abrasions and a broken arm and told the hospital staff that his son had fallen from the equipment at the playground. Because Tavion’s father was so adamant about not leaving his side, it raised some red flags about how true his story was. The hospital staff also determind that his injuries did not line up with his story and began to suspect that this was a case of abuse. Prior to leaving the hospital, his dad requested that it be noted on his file that he is to be notified if someone requests access and also not to release any information to the mother, as they are divorced. During the weekend following Tavion’s visit to the hospital, his mother showed up requesting copies of her son’s records and claimed that he was being abused by his father.

Approaching Ethical Dilemma

In my opinion, the mother’s concern is definitely enough to investigate the situation further. The staff at the hospital should have included their suspicions in their notes and if they did, this would support the mother’s suspicions. If I were part of the hospital staff, I would report the case to child and families, so they could perform their own investigation. If Tavion’s mother has just as much legal rights over Tavion as his father does, I don’t believe I would be violating ethical code by releasing them to her, but she is the noncustodial parent, so legally I am not supposed to release them. If I were in her shoes, I’d want the records too, but, unfortunately, I’d