Why is 'Doctor-patient confidentiality' important?

Question

Doctor-patient confidentiality is the promise that a doctor will not tell anyone about a patient's health.

Why this is important?

Answer 1

Trust allows patients to share important and sensitive information confidently and freely with their doctor. Take away that trust and they won't provide the information the GP needs to come to the right diagnosis.  

Answer 2

Well, would YOU want your doctor disclosing personal information?  Imagine if you got a STD and he went and posted that information to everyone in the city.  That wouldn't be very cool, now would it?

It's important to keep a trusting relationship between doctor and patient.  The doctor is likely to lose patients if they don't trust him, wouldn't you think?  Besides the fact that it would be completely unethical & unprofessional to disclose personal information, it's just plain rude.  People have the right to receive health services w/out having the fear that they will be ratted out on b/c they need birth control, you see?