
Tipping the privacy balance to protect public health
COVID-19 spreads from person to person through droplet and contact transmission. Contact tracing and consequent quarantine constitute but one approach…


Medico-legal disputes, expert reports and privilege
In any medico legal litigation, the judge or arbitrator is usually assisted by expert evidence given by experts for both…

How to take a sexual history
Some patients may not be comfortable talking about their sexual history, sex partners, or sexual practices, but detailed knowledge of…

Recording without consent
Advances in technology mean that it is now possible for patients to record and video consultations on their mobile phones…

Chaperones for intimate examinations
Where any intimate examination is proposed, a chaperone should always be offered, particularly if a patient has been sedated, even…

Duty of care
It is not only medical practitioners who owe a duty of care to their patients in conducting themselves with reasonable…

Patient autonomy and informed consent
Informed consent is one of the key components of ethical patient care and it is vital that medical practitioners understand…


Achieving a satisfactory outcome with a difficult patient
Interactions can be challenging for a number of reasons and these reasons can be grouped into the following: patient, doctor,…

Employees: rights and obligations in the medical practice
When employing staff in your rooms it is always advisable to have a written agreement signed to indicate that both…


Dealing ethically with medical waste
In disposing of medical waste, healthcare practitioners need to consider their ethical and professional obligations and be willing to provide…


Medical records and POPI
The fundamental right to privacy is included in the Constitution and this underpins current and future legislation in protecting the…

Does GDPR apply to your patients?
General Data Protection Regulation is an international regulation.

How to manage an HIV-positive patient
In SA, many citizens are affected by HIV/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and access to treatment, fairness in the workplace and the…