Duty to warn

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Duty to Warn

Duty to warn is a legal concept in medicine and mental health that describes the responsibility of a physician or other health care provider to alert third parties if a patient poses a threat to themselves or others.

Pronunciation

Duty to warn: /ˈdjuːti tə ˈwɔːrn/

Etymology

The term "duty to warn" originates from the legal field, where "duty" refers to a moral or legal obligation, and "warn" refers to the act of informing someone in advance of a possible danger or problem.

Definition

In the context of healthcare, the duty to warn refers to the ethical and legal obligation of healthcare providers to breach confidentiality if a patient poses a clear and imminent danger to themselves or others. This concept is most often applied in the field of psychiatry, where a mental health professional may need to warn a potential victim or law enforcement if a patient makes a credible threat.

Related Terms

  • Tarasoff Rule: A legal precedent related to the duty to warn, established in the case of Tarasoff v. Regents of the University of California. This rule holds that a mental health professional has a duty to protect individuals who are being threatened by a patient.
  • Confidentiality: The ethical principle or legal right that a physician or other healthcare professional will hold secret all information relating to a patient, unless the patient gives consent permitting disclosure.
  • Informed Consent: The process by which a healthcare provider educates a patient about the risks, benefits, and alternatives of a given procedure or intervention.

See Also

External links

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