Opinion ID: 1796311
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Physician-Patient Privilege

Text: The privilege statute, section 491.060(5), speaks in terms of competency to testify, but is construed as a privilege statute. [5] It provides that licensed physicians, chiropractors, psychologists, and dentists are incompetent to testify concerning any information which he or she may have acquired from any patient while attending the patient in a professional character, and which information was necessary to enable him or her to prescribe and provide treatment for such patient as a physician, chiropractor, psychologist or dentist. There is also a fiduciary duty of confidentiality owed by a treating physician to his or her patients not to disclose information received in connection with treatment. Brandt v. Medical Defense Assoc., 856 S.W.2d 667, 669-670 (Mo. banc 1993). Although the psychologist-patient relationship is included in the section 491.060(5) protection afforded to the physician-patient relationship, the confidential nature of the psychologist-patient relationship is also protected in section 337.055. [6] The section 491.060(5) privilege applies to medical records and all aspects of discovery. State ex rel. Crowden v. Dandurand, 970 S.W.2d 340, 342 (Mo. banc 1998); State ex rel. Benoit v. Randall, 431 S.W.2d 107, 109 (Mo. banc 1968). The purpose of the physician-patient privilege is to enable the patient to secure complete and appropriate medical treatment by encouraging candid communication between patient and physician, free from fear of the possible embarrassment and invasion of privacy engendered by an unauthorized disclosure of information. State ex rel. Woytus v. Ryan, 776 S.W.2d 389, 392 (Mo. banc 1989).