What does an incident where a researcher's laptop containing medical records is stolen constitute?

The situation where a researcher's laptop containing medical records is stolen represents a breach of confidentiality. This is because confidentiality refers to the obligation to protect personal information and not disclose it to unauthorized individuals. The theft of the laptop potentially exposes sensitive medical data, which is a direct violation of the trust placed in the researcher to keep that information secure and private.

While the scenario also relates to other concepts, such as data breaches and HIPAA regulations, the most accurate characterization in this context is the breach of confidentiality. A data breach typically refers to the unauthorized access of data but does not inherently capture the dimension of trust that confidentiality encompasses. Likewise, obtaining consent is about ensuring that participants are aware of and agree to the use of their information in research. The primary issue in this scenario focuses on the failure to keep that information confidential, thus making it a breach of confidentiality.