Professional confidentiality and forensic medicine

: Medical confidentiality is a complex subject. The legal position of a physician depends on his or her role (medical advisor, attending physician, official, or medical examiner) as well as the physician's task and commission. In common with all physicians, the forensic physician has a duty to provide confidentiality. As a medical examiner, he or she has a limited professional confidentiality: there is an oath of secrecy, but not a right of refusal to testify with respect to the information obtained in carrying out the commission. When the forensic physician assumes the role of the attending physician, the professional confidentiality applies in full.