Ethical implications of third-party record release
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Date
2022
Authors
Hodson, Jessica
McBride, Dawn
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
In this article, the authors present a critical analysis of the ethical implications related to third-party record release, when a therapist is asked to release a client's counselling record information to an external party. Drawing from the values of the Canadian Psychological Association's (2017) code of ethics, the authors emphasize the need for therapists to balance their duty to protect client
confidentiality with their responsibility to promote client self-determination through the informed
consent process. Several recommendations are offered to enhance the informed consent process and
to reduce the risk of harm to the client in the event the record is released to a third-party. An ethical
checklist is provided for therapists to use when responding to a third-party record release request.
This article may be of interest to lawyers who seek to understand why releasing counselling record
information is a complex process for therapists.
Description
Open access
Keywords
Release of information , Ethics , Consent , Confidentiality
Citation
Hodson, J., & McBride, D. (2022). Ethical implications of third-party record release. Journal of Ethics in Mental Health, 11, 1-11. https://jemh.ca/issues/open/documents/JEMH%20Article%20Records.pdf