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Student Health Services > Ethical Principles

The delivery of college health programs requires that all staff adhere to established ethical principles and codes of professional practice including patient confidentiality, privacy, dignity, and informed consent.  The Lake Forest College Student Health Service's providers and staff work with the principles that have the following characteristics:

  • Care, style, and approach assure a nonjudgmental environment and sensitivity to all individuals including those from diverse cultural, racial, ethnic, religious, age, social and sexual orientation groups.
  • Conflicts of interest are strictly avoided in such areas as athletic medicine, pharmacy services, and use of clinical consultants, vendors, and contractors.  Care is not given to promote products or services selectively.
  • Issues of confidentiality are clearly defined as they apply within each unit of the health service; between separate units of the health service; between health service personnel (including mental health/counseling/psychotherapy) and other campus counseling services; and between health service personnel (including mental health/counseling/psychotherapy) and all other campus personnel (e.g. deans) and extra-campus departments, agencies, and persons (e.g. the legal establishment).  Patient information is not revealed to any source outside the health service, within or outside of the college, without the patient's informed consent.  The only exception would be in cases of extreme urgency where there is an obvious "need to know."  Policies also conform to applicable legal statutes concerning the release of confidential information when required by state or federal law.
  • The task of media relations involving individual patient care status is assigned to an individual who is well versed in the information that can be released.  Health service administrators and health care providers prevent media representatives from entering the health service in any manner that may compromise the confidentiality of patients within the facility.
  • Health services staff does not assume the role of disciplinarian, since this is in opposition to the purpose of the health service and contrary to principles of professional ethics.  Students are not prohibited from seeking treatment for health conditions for fear of "punishment."
  • Infractions of institutional policies related to alcohol or other drug abuse are identified and dealt with separately from clinical treatment contacts, except when infractions occur within the clinical setting.  Matters of criminal activity are reported in accordance with the law.  Abusive or violent patients who endanger the health staff or other patients are subject to reporting and official institutional containment.