DB3-74
Lydia Terry
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There is no doubt that technology has changed the way our society operates, and healthcare is no exception. Advances in technology have enabled more effective healthcare decision-making in many ways, but these advances definitely don’t come without their own inherent issues.
One way that technology has enabled more effective healthcare decision-making is through constant access. The patient, physician and entire healthcare team have a wealth of information at their fingertips through smartphones, tablets, laptops and Internet connection available almost anywhere. This allows us to research and make informed decisions almost at all times, which allows healthcare processes to be more thought out, time efficient and cost effective. However, this continuous access to healthcare information carries the ethical dilemma of allowing patients to weigh in on healthcare decisions using information that may not necessarily be trustworthy or verified. You obviously can’t believe everything you read on the Internet, and those that have not been trained to access reliable healthcare information may attempt to make decisions based on incorrect findings.
Another way that technology has allowed for more effective healthcare decision-making is through telehealth services. Especially during the COVID19 pandemic, we have relied on telehealth services more than ever. For simple visits with doctors or other members of the healthcare team, utilizing virtual appointments has proven to be cost effective, time efficient and essentially sufficient for what the patient needs. However, this prevents the ethical dilemma of potentially providing less than sufficient care for some patients. Some people need to be physically examined by a provider in order to receive a proper diagnosis and therefore the correct treatment. If this patient is only communicating with their provider virtually, an inaccurate diagnosis may be given, or an important finding might be missed altogether. This can lead to incorrect treatments (which may be harmful), or the omission of treatment.
One last way that technological advances have facilitated more effective healthcare decision-making is through the use of electronic medical records, billing, etc. Healthcare organizations can use their computer systems to keep up with patient records, insurance information, billing issues, etc. This can simplify and streamline healthcare processes and lead to a more effective system. It allows for a healthcare team to eliminate paperwork and the time that it takes to find paper charts and documents. However, there are definitely ethical issues involved with using electronic health records, including privacy and confidentiality issues (such as security issues) and data inaccuracies. In a non-clinical sense, this could potentially open up an organization to legal implications. It is important for us as a society to be able to trust that healthcare organizations are able to keep our information protected and private. If a healthcare organization loses that trust with its own community and opens itself up to legal repercussions, the entire community and its access to healthcare will suffer as a result. According to Ethical issues in electronic health records: a general overview, “security measures such as firewalls, antivirus software, and intrusion detection software must be included to protect data integrity. Specific policies and procedures serve to maintain patient privacy and confidentiality.” This can be more work for management in healthcare organizations, but well worth it to protect the organization from any type of security breach that may result from electronic record keeping.
Although technology definitely makes our lives easier and more convenient, advances in technology in healthcare don’t come without ethical issues. Management must be mindful of these potential issues and have policies and procedures in place to prevent them and resolve them.
Resources:
Jamshed, N., Ozair, F., Sharma, A., & Aggarwal, P. (2015). Ethical issues in electronic health records: A general overview. Perspectives in Clinical Research, 6(2), 73. doi:10.4103/2229-3485.153997
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