Paper B1

Edward Knox III

IFSM 304 Ethics in Information Technology

1/31/2019

Grade: Where is your matrix? That is an essential part of this Assignment. Check proper APA documentation for all reference/sources! Include the URL when available (see your Ozair reference here. Further, one needs to include the perspective of a practice in India of the author). Good topic; timely and relevant- Try to avoid passive-voice; overly complex sentences—watch punctuation carefully; imperfect tense; subject/verb/object agreement; consistency; etc.

Introduction

Medical information such as drug usage information, sexual history, prescription history, and much more information is sensitive and is currently entering available across the digital world. The digitization of medical records is being used to revolutionize healthcare;, it comes with special benefits such as easy and faster record keeping but this digitization of medical records has serious threats fortowards the privacy of the patient’s information (Jamie, 2017). Comment by Jim: Hmmm….!

Ethical issue.

Each and every individual would really wants their medical information to be private and confidential. Anything discussed with a medical practitioners should remain between the two of you. Nevertheless, it is not normally the case. Sometimes we post our health problems on our social media pages or search about our illnesses or conditions using the search engine. Other people search for hospitals or doctors who can help them with their health conditions (Ozair et.al, 2015). Comment by Jim: …and, our search history may be maintained and reviewed.

The information collected in your medical records includes billing and payment information, full name, and account number. Some facilities ask for Ssocial Ssecurity numbers but are not favored because they increase the chances of identity theft (Jamie, 2017).

Sometimes certain patients post their symptoms that are a clear sign of someone who is falling into depression or is having suicidal thoughts. A doctor or a physician may come across it and it will be in a dilemma because he or she will not know what is rightful to do, whether to act with integrity or to respect the rules that govern the persons privacy. Physicians who google Google patients out of curiosity are not doing the right thing and should face the consequences in case they are found with evidence (Ozair et.al, 2015). Comment by Jim: Hippocratic oath?

I choose chose this topic because it needs to be looked into clearly;, security should be enhanced because if the details are compromised or accessed by an unauthorized individual, there is a possibility that there will be identity theft. Some physicians are just curious and are not driven to offer care to the affected patients (Ozair et.al, 2015).

Stake holders.

The people who are involved in handling your information in your medical records are you, your physician, your employer (if necessary) and maybe the pharmacy where you buy the prescribed medication. Any other person who is not authorized to view your medical or non-medical records should be sued if found having improperly accessed your information. Comment by Jim: When and how are employers permitted to look at individual health records? I do not think so! Do you have a reference for this? Comment by Jim: Not maybe; for sure! Health providers typically send prescription information electronically to the patient’s pharmacy of choice. Comment by Jim: There are many other persons who may be authorized to look at your non-medical records: banks; credit card companies; credit checks and evaluations for mortgage loans, etc.

Principles that apply to the privacy of medical data.

The three principles that apply to the need for privacy of medical data are publicity, confidentiality and respect for persons;

Publicity.

It is the role of the physician to take actions based on the medical ethical standards but it must be known by the involved patients. When a physician needs to consult a fellow physician about an ailment and needsmaybe has to show him or her the patient’s medical data, he or she has to seek permission from the patient. A medical practitioner should not google Google a patient out of curiosity or just for fun. Physicians should however act with integrity whenever they are giving care (Ozair et.al, 2015). Comment by Jim: Patient’s typically sign-off on this in the first encounter; that permission may only have to be updated if new terms and conditions are mandated, for example under HIPAA.

Respect for persons.

The above principle goes hand- in- hand with respect for persons;, people should be treated with honor. Respect means that every physician should keep the patients record confidential;, he or she should not go around discussing the patient. It is the role of the medical practitioners to honor the rights and responsibilities privacy of the patients

Confidentiality

No one would like his or her health conditions to be announced to everyone, letleave alone that, almost everyone loves living a private life. The doctors or any other medical practitioner should never disclose one’s medical information without their permission. Information and actions of patients should remain confidential (Ozair et.al, 2015).

Analysis of the ethical issue concerning medical privacy.

Technology has improved and made record keeping easier and faster but on the other hand, it has made medical data vulnerable to deliberate or accidental attacks. When patients learn that information about their health is not being kept privately, they may commit suicide or suffer from stigma. Some may even stop seeking for medical care due to fear of being exposed (Jamie, 2017).

Several agencies have legal access to people’s medical information but must be under the HIPAA rules and several other laws that govern the access to medical information. There are some standard exceptions where approval may be provided forthat approve access to medical records for enforcement of laws and also for judicial and administrative processes. As for national security purposes, it can be difficult to know whetherthat your medical information has been disclosed unless you are a subject to prosecution by the government (Ozair et.al, 2015).

Some attackers steal medical data intentionally, tothe use it to falsify their identity and then carry out their terrorism activities, smuggling of counterfeit goods, and committing crimes among other evil acts that putsposes the nation at risk (Jamie, 2017).

References

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/12/medical-privacy-under-attack-2017-review

Ozair, F. F., Jamshed, N., Sharma, A., & Aggarwal, P. (2015). Ethical issues in electronic health records: a general overview. Perspectives in clinical research, 6(2), 73. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4394583/ Comment by Jim: Providing the URL for this reference/source is essential to fully understand the context. Much of this applies to the culture and procedures in India.