Regulation of Professional Medical Confidentiality in Honduras

This document, Regulation of Professional Medical Confidentiality in Honduras, is an essential guide to provide clarity and practical tools to healthcare personnel so they may navigate the legal, ethical, and bioethical framework governing medical confidentiality in the national context. It addresses the critical tension that arises between two legal obligations: indispensable Professional Secrecy (which protects constitutional rights such as privacy, dignity, and the right to health) and the legal duty to report (established in the Criminal Procedure Code). To resolve this conflict, the guide carries out a systematic and rigorous review of national legislation and international human rights standards. In essence, this resource seeks to strengthen the judgment and decision-making capacity of healthcare personnel.

By providing a solid legal and jurisprudential justification, it enables informed and ethical decision-making in situations of conflict, always guaranteeing the non-negotiable priority of protecting the fundamental rights of patients, especially access to healthcare services without fear of being criminalized or discriminated against. This approach ensures that healthcare personnel act as guarantors of life and health, rather than as operators of the criminal justice system.