For this discussion, I will be focusing on a patient’s right to privacy for their
medical information. While this ethical issue has existed for a long time, new technology
has allowed medical professionals to learn more about their patients than ever before.
With the ability to decipher a patient’s genetic composition, medical professionals can
determine risks for future illnesses (Silverman, 2004). While this can help a person
prepare for the future, it creates the question of who has the right to know this
information. In the past, this was seen as a problem for insurance companies. They could
deny coverage or charge more if a patient was at high risk for a future condition. With the
addition of the Affordable Care Act, insurance plans are required to cover patients
regardless of future risks or pre-existing conditions.
Another area of patient privacy concerns is the increased use of electronic health
records. With the increased accessibility of a patient’s information, there is also increased
risk. Healthcare facilities need to make sure they are protecting the patient’s right to
privacy by providing adequate security. Many ERH allow patients to access their
information from home. This puts the information at risk from human error. Should
medical facilities provide training for patients to help protect their information or is it the
patient’s responsibility to understand the risks? While I believe that medical facilities
should educate patients, there could be extras costs that are passed on to patients and
insurance companies.
References
Silverman, E. (2004). The 5 Most Pressing Ethical Issues in Biotech Medicine.
Biotechnology Healthcare, 41-45.
