Tuesday 3 March 2009

Confidential?

I'm currently listening to a work colleague telling someone about a friend who's just had a cancer diagnosis, in great detail. Whoever she's talking to doesn't know the person she's talking about, but she's just told her the name, diagnosis, symptoms and goodness knows what else.

I'm uncomfortable hearing it.

I'm almost sure I know who she's talking to -- someone who works with cancer data but is an administrator not a medic.

Ignoring ethical issues for a minute, there seems to me to be an element of voyeurism going on. Look at me, my friend's got cancer, isn't it upsetting, poor dear?

Oh, now we're getting details of who the person worked for, when she retired and other bits.

I strongly suspect if it was me with the diagnosis, I wouldn't want my colleague for a friend.

Maybe it's just me?



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