What does the Tarasoff duty to warn entail?

• A. Clinicians may have a duty to warn or protect a third party if a patient poses a credible risk of serious harm; confidentiality may be breached to protect potential victims.
• B. Tarasoff requires confidentiality to be maintained in all cases.
• C. Tarasoff applies only to minors.
• D. Tarasoff applies only to inpatients.

Answer: (A)

Tarasoff duty to warn means clinicians may have a legal obligation to protect a third party from harm when a patient poses a credible risk of serious harm. If there is a credible threat to a specific person, the clinician should take steps to warn that person or to protect them, which can involve breaking confidentiality to prevent harm. This duty isn’t limited to a particular setting or to minors; it applies whenever there’s a real risk to identifiable victims and requires balancing patient privacy with public safety.