Which statement best describes physician-patient privilege and when it applies?

• A. Communications between patient and physician made for medical treatment or diagnosis and intended to be confidential.
• B. All medical records are public records.
• C. The privilege applies to doctors and nurses only in civil cases.
• D. It never applies if the patient waives confidentiality.

Answer: (A)

The key idea being tested is what physician-patient privilege covers: confidential communications between a patient and a physician that are made for the purpose of medical treatment or diagnosis. This protection exists to encourage full and honest disclosure so the physician can provide proper care, and it means those communications generally can’t be forced to be disclosed in court without the patient’s consent.

That’s why the statement describing such communications as intended to be confidential and made for medical treatment or diagnosis is the best fit. It captures both who is involved (patient and physician) and the purpose and expectation of privacy that underpins the privilege.

The other options don’t fit because they misstate or overgeneralize the protection. Medical records being public records is not true—the privilege protects confidential communications, not making records public. The privilege isn’t limited to doctors and nurses in civil cases; it typically covers physicians and can apply across different types of proceedings, with certain exceptions. And waiving confidentiality can destroy the privilege; saying it never applies if the patient waives confidentiality is incorrect because waiver is precisely how the privilege can be lost.