Which of the following is an example of a violation of an adult patient's confidentiality?

The choice indicating that patient information was disclosed to the patient's parent without consent is a clear example of a violation of an adult patient's confidentiality. Under healthcare privacy regulations, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States, patients have the right to control who has access to their personal health information. Disclosing information to a third party, including family members, without explicit permission from the patient breaches this confidentiality requirement.

In this case, an adult patient generally retains the authority over their medical information and must give consent before any disclosure can occur. This principle ensures that patients feel safe sharing sensitive information with their healthcare providers, knowing it will not be released without their approval. By revealing this information to a parent without consent, the confidentiality of the patient is compromised, leading to a violation of their rights.

The other options describe scenarios that either protect patient confidentiality or involve scenarios where consent may not be necessary, such as encrypted data or sharing information for legal purposes following appropriate legal process. This reinforces the importance of understanding consent and confidentiality in the context of patient information.