Why Ethan should not have told the dentist about his HIV:

He was being denied care when he did tell

Ethic: self-interest (economic model-everyone acts rationally,
and only cares about self), both Ethan and dentist should've been
acting in this way-Ethan by not telling, and the dentist by taking
universal precautions (assuming that patients might be infected)

Many patients might be HIV+ and not know it, another reason dentist
should already be taking universal precautions

Key argument: Stigma of disease-if confidentiality is violated, might
alter patient incentives to act in a socially optimal way:

if we want patients to care about society, society has to care about
them, and should give them appropriate care

*****************

Why Ethan should've told the dentist:

might be relevant to Ethan's care for dentist to know

AIDS _IS_ a deadly disease, concern and respect for caregiver should
dominate

also, caregiver could spread to other patients and family/lovers-
risk is beyond just the dentist, but to whole community

could've asked Verghese for a referral (he did have options besides
not telling)

professionals should be able to choose conditions in which they practice
Ethan not telling didn't allow dentist to choose

seeing that universal precautions weren't being taken, Ethan could've/
should've told then

psychic costs (economics for fear) of dentist should also count

even doc's can be ignorant (?-don't know what this one was about)

even though a small risk of infections, getting AIDS is a BIG negative
payoff (the negative expected value of transmission could be very large,
even though risk of transmission is very small)

***************

Pharmacist shouldn't have told:

part of ethical code, primary responsibility is to patient,
maintaining confidentiality more important than trust/responsibility
to dentist

pharmacist should only convey medical info to patient (even if
potentially harmful drug interactions-should send patient back to md.
don't directly contact md.-or if do, then should contact AIDS md.)

Especially important in cases of stigmatizing diseases

************

Pharmacist should have told:

greater good than privacy (re: possible spread further in community
if dentist was infected)

(Counter: could've told dentist that some of his patients were HIV+,
without naming Ethan)

Depends on (perceived) risk of transmission

Notes by:
Amy M. Wolaver