The Influence of Ethical Issues on Information Technology Usage
Use of computers poses a new challenge for privacy. Privacy is a state of mind, specific place freedom from intrusion or control over the exposure of self of personal information (Czar, 2013). In this day and age, many new rules come into play on how to protect the privacy of the patient. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of ethical use and the unethical issues faced with the use of technology, as well as the impact of specific and a broad range legislation on information technology.
Importance of ethical, legal, and regulatory issues and information technology
In nursing informatics, ethical principles play a prime role in our day to day patient care. Nursing has the ethical principles of beneficence, fidelity, nonmaleficence, autonomy, justice and veracity. These principles along with other provisions set a standard for nursing care. Nonmaleficence is the avoidance of harm or hurt; core of medical oath and nursing ethics (nursingworld.org, 2013). This is a nurse’s primary obligation. In nursing informatics, nonmaleficence should be a main commitment. It is the reason privacy settings are set on computers; only authorized health care professionals are allowed to view certain information, so that confidentiality is preserved. Although more secure than paper, electronic medical records are problematic because they can be widely dispersed. (Simpson, R. L. (2006) Therefore, proper electronic documentation goes hand in hand with how these standards are kept. Modern technology and the use of computer programs are a great asset to the medical community and the patient. The code of ethics has to be applied to the IT world as well. The first rule...
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...entially and securely. Through following the ethical principles of nonmaleficence and fidelity a patient’s privacy and wellbeing can be maintain simultaneously. Even though privacy issues such as proper email and password sharing still arise we as nurses should still be advocates for promoting patient’s privacy and confidentiality. We as nurses have power of influence through various nursing organizations such as the ANA, and because of breaches in security opportunities have been made available for advancement in nursing informatics with a special concentration in cyber security. As health care professionals’ privacy, confidentiality and security are important elements that should not be violated. As our society continues to advance in technology, we as nurses should also be in a mindset of advancement to better serve and protect our patient’s privacy and wellbeing.
...). Privacy and Health Information Technology. Journal of Law Medicine, 37(2), 121-149. Retrieved January 28, 2011 from CINAHL database
Abstract: Electronic medical databases and the ability to store medical files in them have made our lives easier in many ways and riskier in others. The main risk they pose is the safety of our personal data if put on an insecure an insecure medium. What if someone gets their hands on your information and uses it in ways you don't approve of? Can you stop them? To keep your information safe and to preserve faith in this invaluable technology, the issue of access must be addressed. Guidelines are needed to establish who has access and how they may get it. This is necessary for the security of the information a, to preserve privacy, and to maintain existing benefits.
... and HIPAA, Does instant access and availability from mobile technology jeopardize patient privacy? [Electronic version] Nursing Management, June 2007, 38-40
Professionalism and staying within professional boundaries is not only a critical part of maintaining your patient’s trust, but it is also a law that nurses must follow to remain practicing. Patients are vulnerable to the nurse in this position, so the nurse must be careful not to break this trust. Professional boundaries are the gap between the nurse’s professional position and the vulnerability of the patient. Nurses are required to abide by privacy standards to protect the patient and to practice a therapeutic relationship. A therapeutic relationship is the medium between under-involvement and over-involvement, and is the zone where nurses should remain. One reason why it is so important that nurses do not overstep their boundaries, is that nurses are respected, trusted, and valued by patients. It is important to keep this reputation to be successful in this field (Black, 2014).
Security problems generally involve a leak of information because of the type of technology being used in clinical and online practice, such as computers, mobile devices (e.g., cell phones or tablets), email, voicemail, fax machines, electronic records on large servers, and the Internet when administering psychological services online. Regrettably, protection of confidentiality has yet to catch up with the majority of these technological advancements. Some of the primary threats to the security of confidentially information originates from things like web or email viruses, online hackers looking to access information, flaws in software or firewalls, damage or malfunction to the technology itself, and user error (Regueiro et al.,
In the modern era, the use of computer technology is very important. Back in the day people only used handwriting on the pieces of paper to save all documents, either in general documents or medical records. Now this medical field is using a computer to kept all medical records or other personnel info. Patient's records may be maintained on databases, so that quick searches can be made. But, even if the computer is very important, the facility must remain always in control all the information they store in a computer. This is because to avoid individuals who do not have a right to the patient's information.
This idea is stated under Provision number 3 in the Code of Ethics for Nurses. To better explain it, the following section will explain two main points that belong to this provision. The first aspects this paper will cover are privacy and confidentiality. Privacy is essential to every human being; it is a right that every person is born with.
In conclusion, technology has changed the world, as we knew it. Positive and negative come with change. The goal of the ACA, HIPPA, and EHRs is achieve positive patient outcomes, while protecting the integrity, trust and confidentiality, and decreasing health care cost. Privacy is a fundamental right of a patient, and nurses are expected to maintain confidentiality (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2014). A breach in confidentiality will result in lack of trust between nurse and patients. As a nurse, it is my responsibility to ensure my patients privacy, and to provide nursing care that is patient centered, not technology centered.
Patient confidentiality is one of the foundations of the medical practice. Patients arrive at hospitals seeking treatment believing that all personal information will remain between themselves and the medical staff. In order to assure patients privacy, confidentiality policies were established. However, a confidentiality policy may be broken only in the case the medical staff believes that the patient is a danger to themselves or to others in society. Thesis Statement: The ethics underlying patient confidentiality is periodically questioned in our society due to circumstances that abruptly occur, leaving health professionals to decide between right and wrong.
William Goossen’s theory can be applied in nursing practice to develop nursing informatics skills and knowledge, as well as develop technological system competencies among nurses to collect, process, retrieve and communicate pertinent information across health care organizations (Goossen, 2000). This theory is highly applicable in addressing matters related to electronic health records, which are currently characterized with issues of privacy and confidentiality in relation to storage, retrieval and reproduction of patient health information. The model also provides broad applicability in guiding research at any clinical setting and contributes to the discipline of nursing by simplifying and enhancing documentation and storage of patient’s health information and by allowing better utilization of nursing resources (Elkind, 2009).
The problem consists due to of the lack of security controls, monitoring and protection of patient information could lead to a breach of patient information. This problem statement focuses on the continued of growth patient privacy breaches. Also, the correlation between the development of electronic capabilities
This is aimed to protect the privacy of the patient and the trust between the patient and the healthcare workers. When it is necessary to disclose information to provide the best care, nurses should ask permission from the patient first. The relationship of trust
Technology is having a significant role in various professional positions and will contribute in dictating the future of care delivery. Privacy is
When the internet was considered a global information system in 1995 millions of Americans participated in virtual communication. People began to communicate with each other and personal information began to be placed online by the stroke of the fingertips to their own computer. So the question is the privacy of individuals trusted online? Can people snoop around and see personal information? Of course people can if guidelines are not set in place to protect them. Public and private information can be complex when some individual(s) do not expect their communication to be read outside of their online community. What will be discussed are some ethical responsibilities that need to take place in the United States. Respecting the individual privacy and honor confidentiality is a must in this country.
Similarly, legislation and privacy worries are in effect all cross the globe and nurses have the beliefs which they will continue to keep confidential and private detail and information for their clients within the client doctor realm. However, clients use the medical services to understand that their personal and medical information are not in the wrong person’s hand because in nursing professional, nurses have the most interaction between the client and doctor, these are the preeminent vital to the nurses in nursing