The law of correspondence says that your outer world will reflect your inner world. In many ways, the local coffee shop has returned to being a “mobile office”. Grab a beverage and maybe food, the WiFi is free and available, and no one needs to pay rent or worry about booking a reservation.

Risks of Confidential Conversations in Public

I have overheard many coffee-shop business conversations that would likely be considered confidential. Business deals, financial transactions, names of staff members causing issues. No one can ever be sure if someone at the next table isn’t listening, or worse, knows who or what you are talking about. Not to mention how lack of privacy can impact the depth of the dialogue and reduces comfort with information sharing.

Importance for Professionals: Safeguarding Personal Privacy

Health and regulated professionals in particular need to always be cognizant of personal privacy and information protection. They need to safeguard clients from potential information breaches by keeping paper and electronic records safe and secure, but by also being very aware of surroundings and the likelihood of others hearing private stories that happen in public. Even in hospitals where there are ward rooms and open treatment areas, busy hallways and nurses’ stations: privacy and confidentiality, while difficult to maintain at times in these public forums, must be maintained.

Mitigating Risks: Mindfulness and Consent

The risk of personal information and privacy breaches are significant. The media is constantly sharing stories of our information being sold, hacked, or otherwise being “gathered” for purposes we don’t often consent to. I suggest everyone be mindful and aware of the information we provide about ourselves and others, to whom we provide it, and the presence of others in these discussions. A coffee shop might be a suitable place to conduct some business, but I would argue not all, and that anyone engaging in conversations in public places (health or regulated professionals or not), need to be mindful and aware of their surroundings. Consent is key, and it is important to draw people’s awareness to the location and to ask them for their permission to have sensitive or otherwise private conversations in non-private locales.