Die ärztliche Schweigepflicht als verfassungsrechtliche Schutzpflicht im Spannungsverhältnis zum Schutz der Allgemeinheit vor Patienten mit Fremdschädigungspotenzial in sensiblen Berufen

This thesis takes the crash of a Germanwings plane in 2015, which was caused by the mentally ill co-pilot, as an opportunity to question whether medical confidentiality and its limits need to be redefined with regard to members of so-called sensitive professions. In doing so, the examination focuses on the interplay of constitutional, medical, and criminal law, as well as practical requirements. On this basis, the author develops the proposal to introduce a general obligation of the physician to transmit certificates of incapacity for work of members of sensitive professions to the employer via the health insurance carrier in order to strengthen the protection of the general public against third-party damages.