Confidentiality in medical practice.

To assess physicians' attitudes toward confidentiality, a questionnaire was mailed to general practitioners and family physicians in New Jersey. The questionnaire was designed to measure their attitudes regarding confidentiality as well as what course of action they believed should be pursued in specific situations involving confidentiality. Data regarding personal and practice characteristics were also collected. One hundred twenty (50%) of the physicians responded. A particularly strong reluctance was found among physicians to divulge information to other physicians. More physicians appeared willing to disclose information to relatives of the patient without their consent. The argument for disclosure among physicians to family members may flow from their belief that they should care for the health of the whole family, and not only that of the patient.