Medical Confidentiality in Thailand

[The Hood]

Does confidentiality exist between patient (farang) and a GP in Thailand?

If there is a question of medical treatment, and an employer has

recommended a doctor to the employee concerned, the employee makes

a decision re his treatment he wants expressly to remain in confidence, as

to the date of the treatment. However the relationship between employer

and GP may go against that confidential matter, unless there is in Thai

Law confidential protection. Please advise.

[Sheryl]

Thai criminal codeTITLE XI
OFFENCE AGAINST LIBERTY AND REPUTATION

Section 323. Professional Disclosure

Whoever, knows or acquires a private secret of another person by reason of his functions as a competent official or his profession as a medical practitioner, pharmacist, druggist, midwife, nursing attendant, priest, advocate, lawyer or auditor, or by reason of being an assistant in such profession, and then discloses such private secret in a manner likely to cause injury to any person, shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding six months or fined not exceeding one thousand Baht, or both.

 

Not that to be a criminal offense the disclosure would have to cause harm..

 

Disclosing any detail of a patients treatment or condition to a third party without their consent is also contrary to medical code of ethics in Thailand.

 

HOWEVER,  this is Thailand and I would not count on either fact protecting you if the matter is one your employer has a keen interest in/would be likely to ask the doctor about and the doctor has a personal or professional relationship with your employer.  Things do not always go by the book here, to put it mildly.

 

If it were me I would seek opt not to consult a doctor recommended by my employer. that might also be better anyhow in terms of being sure to see the best doctor for the need.

 

If you are in Bangkok area, and if it is a GP that you need and not a specialist (medical care in Thailand is highly specialized), there are 2 western GPS licensed to practice here I could recommend. One Brit and 1 American.

[Colabamumbai]

Insurance companies can commicunate with hospitals when you apply for insurance to confirm that you may have had or are having treatment. No harm is done, in order not to cover an existing ailment.

[Proboscis]

I have always avoided jobs where there was unnecessary or unwarranted medical investigation or other invasion into my private life. You lose your rights if you have consented (implied or otherwise) to a company doctor examining you. He can provide information to your employer because by going to him you have effectively consented to your employer getting the info. And that can be anything from you drink too much, that you smoke, you don't exercise, evidence of STDs (even past ones), that you engage in dangerous sports or that there are indicators in the cheap tests they run of certain illegal substances even though you have never taken drugs.

 

Yes, if your job calls for certain checks, such as you are going to be treating patients, you would need to have your own health checked for infectious diseases and for some jobs you have to pass a medical (eg airline pilot). But if there is no valid reason for invasion of my privacy, then I refuse very politely. It usually works - if they really want you, then they will hire you. I have always been surprised when the CEOs and senior managers of companies are never tested but the immigrant cleaners are regularly tested for just about everything.

 

This was in the USA where, as an employee, you have no rights. They make you sign a declaration that you will go to arbitration according to the arbitration system they choose which means you lose the right to sue them no matter what they do to you (see recent article about this in The Economist. And you won't be able to tell anyone because of the non-disclosure agreement you sign on the way in.

 

They get you by putting these inoccuous documents in front of you when you are being offered the job, "just a bit of paperwork." I don't sign those either on the basis that if they don't trust themselves to treat me properly, then I would not want to work for them.

[recycler]

Forget about privacy or confidentiality in Thailand, doesn't matter what the law or professional codes of conduct say.

[Epidemiologist Dave]

2 hours ago, recycler said:

Forget about privacy or confidentiality in Thailand, doesn't matter what the law or professional codes of conduct say

[Acemaker]

 

On 2/9/2018 at 7:33 PM, Sheryl said:

Thai criminal codeTITLE XI
OFFENCE AGAINST LIBERTY AND REPUTATION

Section 323. Professional Disclosure

Whoever, knows or acquires a private secret of another person by reason of his functions as a competent official or his profession as a medical practitioner, pharmacist, druggist, midwife, nursing attendant, priest, advocate, lawyer or auditor, or by reason of being an assistant in such profession, and then discloses such private secret in a manner likely to cause injury to any person, shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding six months or fined not exceeding one thousand Baht, or both.

 

Not that to be a criminal offense the disclosure would have to cause harm..

 

Disclosing any detail of a patients treatment or condition to a third party without their consent is also contrary to medical code of ethics in Thailand.

 

HOWEVER,  this is Thailand and I would not count on either fact protecting you if the matter is one your employer has a keen interest in/would be likely to ask the doctor about and the doctor has a personal or professional relationship with your employer.  Things do not always go by the book here, to put it mildly.

 

If it were me I would seek opt not to consult a doctor recommended by my employer. that might also be better anyhow in terms of being sure to see the best doctor for the need.

 

If you are in Bangkok area, and if it is a GP that you need and not a specialist (medical care in Thailand is highly specialized), there are 2 western GPS licensed to practice here I could recommend. One Brit and 1 American.

I think its confidential unless you have the Clap, then it serves you right. 

[colinneil]

Medical confidentiality here is a joke.

During my recent hospital stay, i was in a private room, hospital rules state you must have someone in the room with you at all times.

My wife had to leave me for 1 day (uncles funeral), so it was arranged for a hospital visitor to sit in my room.

A new doctor came in, ignored me, was discussing my case with the visitor, i had to say to the doctor, i am the patient you speak to me, not an unknown/ unrelated person, to which i got the usual  no English nonsense.

Finally she spoke English to me, the next day she came in, completely ignored my wife, only spoke English to me.

[Colabamumbai]

A school here providing insurance, insurance agent met me at hospital, watched the mouth swab and directed the hospital to send him the results for HIV test. It was negative.

[BEVUP]

I can see where the Op is coming from 

Take Auss for example & quite a few other western countries 

Privacy act = biggest joke in the world as every one in the vacinity would see your records if within eye shot 

The Receptionists have a good old laugh of peoples records in a doctors surgery

& i know what goes on concerning police since I have family in it 

 

& now to the best bit 

 

I understand the OP as many companies in the west are discrimenative  & it's al about cheaper Ins

I would certainly not have an operation in the west if I was still employed as this would go against you pending what it was

 

I knew of a person who didn't declare 1 type of medication he was taking ( no doubt would not of effected his job ) & it didn't as i worked with him

Point being there are some conditions that a doctor/ patient should be able to keep private & state that the person is fit for work 

This person ended up being stood down for a week pending an investigation on terminating his employment 

 

I will never put my son in the hands of big companies from what I've been through

 

 

[jippytum]

In my experience there are more than a few professional  people in Thailand who wouldn't adhere to a confidentially clause both in the legal and medical professions.

[Destiny1990]

Privacy for farangs is at the bottom of any list here.

The security guard will gossip with ur maid etc.

[seancbk]

On 2/9/2018 at 7:33 PM, Sheryl said:

If you are in Bangkok area, and if it is a GP that you need and not a specialist (medical care in Thailand is highly specialized), there are 2 western GPS licensed to practice here I could recommend. One Brit and 1 American.

 

Can you share who they are please.

[Sheryl]

Dr. Nick Walters (American)

http://www.mission-hospital.org/en/component/k2/item/54-dr-nick-walters.html

 

Dr. Donna Robinson (British) 

https://www.bumrungrad.com/doctors/Donna-Robinson

https://www.medconsultasia.com/ 

 

 

[seancbk]

13 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Dr. Nick Walters (American)

http://www.mission-hospital.org/en/component/k2/item/54-dr-nick-walters.html

 

Dr. Donna Robinson (British) 

https://www.bumrungrad.com/doctors/Donna-Robinson

https://www.medconsultasia.com/ 

 

 

 

Thank you!

[impulse]

One thing to keep in mind is that the Eastern culture values the community more than the individual.  In that case, anyone with a health issue that may affect others around him/her wouldn't expect the same level of privacy as someone in the West, where individual rights are more important. 

 

Thailand's medical privacy laws may be written to parrot their Western counterparts, but the culture may take centuries to come around.