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Carers and confidentiality in mental health care: considering the role of the carer's assessment: a study of service users’, carers’ and practitioners’ views
Author(s) -
Rapaport Joan,
Bellringer Sophie,
Pinfold Vanessa,
Huxley Peter
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
health and social care in the community
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.984
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1365-2524
pISSN - 0966-0410
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2524.2006.00631.x
Subject(s) - confidentiality , context (archaeology) , mental health , stakeholder , relevance (law) , nursing , underpinning , service (business) , information sharing , health professionals , medicine , psychology , health care , public relations , psychiatry , political science , business , law , biology , engineering , paleontology , civil engineering , marketing
Relatives or carers of people with mental health problems have criticised professionals for their failures to share information with them. This article reports on a multiple method study comprising a policy search, a survey of service users, carers and professionals, and stakeholder interviews and group events. The study found few policies that addressed the principles underpinning information sharing with carers. However, examples of good practice in professional involvement of carers that took account of carer rights and responsibilities emerged from the research. This suggests the relevance of the carer's assessment, a carer's right to an assessment of his or her circumstances and wishes in assisting understanding of the care context and enhancing appropriate information sharing between professionals and carers.