Privacy, anonymity and confidentiality are similar, yet different. Privacy is the patients ability to limit the amount of information they share with others. We tend to keep personal information such as our social security number or credit card information extremely private. As people we all have the right to keep information to ourselves. Confidentiality is the patient has the right to have medical information kept in private, their information is protected from unauthorized disclosures. When a health care provider receives information about a patient or from a patient they must not share it with anyone. The only circumstances where a health care provider can share patient information is if they need another professionals opinion on the patients
