Keep it to yourself!

I was at a conference over the weekend and patient confidentiality was not on the agenda.

Several speakers used CT scans or other materials in their presentations which clearly displayed the patient's name. In one case, the patient was not only identified, but also his medical condition was discussed in detail. This presenter was from the US, so it seems unlikely that anyone in the room would know that patient, but that's not the point, is it?

A Canadian speaker identified a patient by his initials only, but then went on to indicate that the patient was a retired physician. He went so far as to give his specialty. We know the locale in which the speaker practices, so there may have been other physicians in the room who could put this information together and recognize the patient. Once again, details of his medical history were revealed.

Both speakers are teachers at renowned medical schools. Time for a refresher course, professors!