AAMA CMA Practice Question

The inadvertent distribution of written communication to an unintended audience containing unfounded accusations of criminal behavior can potentially be considered an act of libel, as it can cause harm to the accused party's reputation. It is a defamation in a fixed medium, which differentiates it from slander, which is spoken. Breach of confidentiality would imply the medical assistant disclosed private patient information without consent, while invasion of privacy involves intruding into someone's personal life without justification. The choice of words in the email and the act of sending it, rather than the medium of the email itself, are pertinent to the claim of libel.