Private and Confidential? Handling Personal Information in the Social and Health Services (Electronic book text)

Handling personal and often sensitive information is central to daily practice in social and health services. However, the increasing emphasis on multi-disciplinary and inter-agency working required for effective, joined-up services presents new challenges and dilemmas in preserving citizens' rights to privacy. This book examines key philosophical, ethical, legal and professional practice issues in the area of privacy and confidentiality and explores their implications for policy and practice. Offering a range of analytical frameworks, the contributors, from different disciplines including law, philosophy, anthropology and the personal service professions, provide a synoptic multi-disciplinary view of this increasingly challenging area where technological development, civil liberties, surveillance, health and welfare become inexorably intertwined.The book will be of key interest to a wide range of professionals in the personal services, academics in related areas, students of the professions, and their contributory disciplines.