Читать книгу Animal Cruelty Investigations - Группа авторов - Страница 178

Maintaining confidentiality protects privacy of individuals and respects legal boundaries. Details about individuals or ongoing investigations are not to be shared by professionals unless permission is given, or it is necessary to further the investigation. Failure to understand and respect these boundaries may have an adverse effect on the outcome of an investigation and the legal process involving a case. During animal cruelty investigations, questions about the boundaries of confidentiality and what information may be shared, with whom, must be answered correctly.

In the practice of veterinary forensics, there are several aspects of confidentiality to consider. During an ongoing investigation, the information gathered inclusive of all statements, reports, photos, videos, or other evidence is to be protected and only shared with individuals who are working directly with you on a case. This includes scribes, technicians, laboratory staff, photographers, and even shelter or rescue operations staff. When authoring reports and engaging with others who assist you, make note of these individuals' contributions and involvement by documenting this in the report.

When caring for live evidence in Protective Custody or stored evidence, maintain strict chain of custody practices with the appropriate record of individual involvement. Be proactive and inform others who are assisting you that investigations are confidential. Be clear about the boundaries of discussing the findings, posting on social media, or talking with uninvolved staff or other parties.

Clear direction regarding communication helps to maintain confidentiality and reduce the potential for dissemination of inaccurate information. Record th details of who was involved in communications and what directions they were given in your notes for the case.

In the event medical records from another agency or veterinary practice are needed, use a standard format for requesting records, and include these records in their original format with the final report, preferably as an attachment. Individual states have laws pertaining to veterinary record confidentiality. Record requests may be made without client permission, depending upon the state [4]. The licensing board in each state or country is a good resource for current laws or rules regarding records requests.