Which statement best distinguishes confidentiality from privilege?

• A. Confidentiality is the obligation to protect PHI; privilege is the same concept.
• B. Confidentiality is optional in some settings; privilege is always required.
• C. Confidentiality is the provider’s obligation to protect PHI; privilege is a legal protection preventing disclosure of communications in court.
• D. Privilege applies to all medical records equally.

Answer: (C)

Confidentiality is the clinician’s ongoing duty to protect a patient’s information (PHI) and to share it only with authorized persons or for permitted purposes, such as treatment or when the patient consents or law requires disclosure. Privilege is a legal shield that can prevent certain confidential communications from being admitted or disclosed in court; it’s not about everyday privacy obligations, but about what can be used as evidence in legal proceedings. Because confidentiality applies to how information is handled in general, while privilege governs what can be revealed in court, the best statement differentiates them by describing confidentiality as the provider’s obligation to protect PHI and privilege as a legal protection preventing disclosure of communications in court.