2024-01-12 19:30:28
The documentary on the death of journalist Gaétan Girouard provokes a lot of reactions. This great journalist did not want to talk regarding his depressive state to anyone, not even his wife, and some wonder if his doctor might have violated professional secrecy.
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“The doctor, who knew that Gaétan was depressed and did not speak to his wife,” says his former colleague Jocelyne Cazin. “That does not make any sense!”
SCREENSHOT / QMI AGENCY
Doctors are bound by professional secrecy as indicated in their Code of Ethics and the Professional Code and some lawyers want the medical file to remain confidential.
“To essentially say that we must review the confidentiality rules to come up with a separate regime for patients who have psychiatric problems and which would allow disclosure once morest the patient’s wishes, it is a false solution,” believes lawyer Patrick Martin-Ménard.
Like the College of Physicians, he believes that this might considerably affect the bond of trust between doctor and patient.
“If you are worried and you are not confident in me in terms of the fact that I will respect professional secrecy, there are things that you will not tell me,” says Dr. Mauril Gaudreault, president of the College of Physicians. .
Dr. Georges-F. Pinard, psychiatrist at the University Mental Health Institute of Montreal, is of the same opinion.
“We can’t share information with the family, but we can listen to what the family has to tell us,” he says. “It can be interesting because we will have a more accurate idea of depressive symptoms.”
Improve and facilitate the sharing of information
A few months ago, coroner Julie-Kim Godin made recommendations following a public inquiry.
“There is an interest in reviewing the legal framework surrounding the sharing of information and the lifting of professional secrecy in order to better prevent deaths by suicide,” says the Coroner’s Office. “By adopting an approach that respects the rights and freedoms of the user, loved ones can contribute to the care trajectory, from care to the deployment of safety nets.”
The coroner suggests forming a committee to prevent suicides. Currently, the law allows doctors to break professional secrecy only if they consider that there is a danger for the patient or those around them.
“If we have the impression that it is urgent to the point where the patient is going to leave the office and commit suicide, that he has a plan and tells me regarding it, if you tell me all these confidences and you do not you don’t want me to talk regarding it to those around you, I can do it and I have a duty to do it,” explains Dr. Gaudreault.
The number of depressed people has doubled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and men are still hesitant to seek medical help.
“One of the first obstacles that we know prevents people from seeking help and talking regarding it to those around them is the fear of being stigmatized, the fear of being judged,” says Mireille Bédard, who experienced 3 major depressions with suicidal thoughts in his life. “The more we cut our connection to the world, the more we risk taking action.”
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