Application of the ethical framework in practice1. Ethical implications of a breach of confidentiality Ethics is the concept of right and wrong and therefore it is difficult to arrive at a universal point of view on what should be right and wrong. In the context of the medical field, professionals are constantly challenged with accessing very delicate and sensitive information about people and patients. Therefore, such professionals regularly face circumstances related to concepts such as confidentiality and privacy. Keeping such private and sensitive information confidential can be both legally and ethically challenging (Boylan, 2013). When we mean an ethical challenge, we are referring to the concept of whether such private information can be easily shared and discussed with others by medical professionals who have access to it. Below we discuss these points with different perspectives. Confidentiality or privacy is essential to achieve trust between doctors, healthcare providers and patients. Patients have the right to expect and know what details about them will be kept confidential (Hope, Hope, & Savulescu, 2008). According to the University of Washington School of Medicine, there is no obligation of confidentiality that is mandatory in all circumstances (University of Washington, 1998). There are legal rules and regulations that protect patient privacy and limit that privacy. Privacy can be violated in two circumstances. One is when there is genuine concern for someone other than the patient. This person could be a child, a spouse, or even someone unrelated to the patient. The other circumstance in which a breach might occur is when there is a genuine concern for the welfare of the general public. This may occur if the patient has a highly communicable or infectious disease that could infect the general public