Ethical Issue In Healthcare

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Maseno University *

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Nursing

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Nov 24, 2024

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1 Ethical Issue In Healthcare Student's Name Institutional Affiliation Course Name Date

2 Ethical Issue In Healthcare Protecting patients' confidentiality is a top priority in the medical field. Schoenberg and Safran (2015) define patient confidentiality as "the expectation that one's private and sensitive information would be held in confidence." If at all, only the doctor's office and other essential members of the medical and insurance staff should have access to this data. Since 2003, federal law has safeguarded patients' right to privacy. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPA) was enacted as a federal rule to safeguard the confidentiality of patient information stored in electronic medical records and with third-party insurance providers. This presentation addresses some of the moral challenges posed by protecting patient privacy. According to Blightman et al. (2016), preserving a patient's private information is not only a moral virtue but also crucial in strengthening confidence between the doctor and patient. Maintaining patient privacy is a cornerstone of medical ethics. Therefore, repercussions should be taken in the case of a privacy violation. According to Mlinek and Pierce (2017), confidentiality problems become morally problematic when protecting patients' privacy is at odds with other ethical considerations, such as protecting the public. A healthcare company may prevent confidentiality difficulties by setting procedures for patient privacy. However, several hospitals and clinics are considering rules and practices that might compromise patients' privacy. Therefore, some doctors may share their patients' private information with researchers. A patient's privacy may not be adequately protected if healthcare companies create their procedures for safeguarding and maintaining sensitive data. Concerns about patient confidentiality include the possibility of a data breach, which is why healthcare businesses must adhere to the standards set by laws and regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), say Gustafson and McNamara (2017). Blightman et al. (2016) state that healthcare

3 professionals are more likely to keep patients' information private if they are held accountable for any breaches in confidentiality. Patients have complained that their physicians have breached their privacy on many occasions, raising ethical concerns in various healthcare settings. According to Mlinek & Pierce (2017), patients' distrust of physicians directly results from these privacy breaches. Patient confidentiality is a major concern in the operating room due to the frequent occurrence of accidental disclosures of medical records. Consultations and pre-op evaluations are sometimes done in the open by certain doctors. According to Schoenberg & Safran (2015), the rising use of digital documentation and record-keeping is promoting the violation of patient confidentiality. Because of their speed, computers can easily disseminate information, which increases the potential for hacking. The inadvertent disclosure of patient information is another ethical concern. This way, sensitive patient data might be accidentally exposed when doctors email one another. When sensitive patient information is inadvertently sent over email, Gustafson and McNamara (2017) suggest using an encrypted email service to protect the privacy of both the sender and the receiver. This ensures that private communications remain private. Blightman et al. (2016) claim that the NHS's email service provider takes precautions to protect sensitive data, even while being sent over email. Because even the most secure passwords may be broken, all patient data stored on individual computers must be encrypted. Protecting patient privacy is paramount, making HIPAA a must-have law. The policy discourages the bad management of sensitive papers of a patient, like a theatre list. Ethical concerns in patient confidentiality include the careless discarding undesirable documents that may include sensitive patient information. According to Mlinek & Pierce (2017), medical facilities should shred outdated paperwork before disposing of it, while electronic data shredding

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4 should be used to destroy digital copies. Some clinicians, as reported by Schoenberg & Safran (2015), do not exercise proper oversight over the dissemination of images and videos that include sensitive patient information. The privacy of patients is at risk when cameras are used. As a result, hospitals and other medical facilities should exercise extreme caution whenever patients pose for photographs or films. Physicians should capture photographs of internal organs, radiographic images, and pathology slides under tight orders for therapy or investigations. Concerns about breaching patients' privacy may be mitigated by establishing strict protocols for dealing with sensitive medical records. Physicians and healthcare practitioners may negligently disclose clinical topics in public. Blightman et al. (2016) claim that patient confidentiality is prone to disclosure when healthcare practitioners expose patients' symptoms to the public, particularly to friends. Discussing a patient's condition in public is problematic from an ethical standpoint, according to Schoenberg and Safran (2015). Unfortunately, some doctors and hospitals release their patients' personal information online without obtaining consent. According to Blightman et al. (2016), releasing a patient's information without consent is not simply an ethical concern but also a criminal violation. Some hospitals and clinics use case studies to promote themselves by showcasing their services to the public. Ethical concerns in patient confidentiality include disseminating a patient's experience without the patient's consent. Finally, privacy breaches are the most pressing ethical concerns concerning patient confidentiality. Physicians and healthcare professionals are disclosing and sharing patients' information unlawfully. Thus, HIPAA should be followed by healthcare facilities to protect the privacy and confidentiality of their patients. Also, Ethical considerations of confidentiality breaches may be addressed by urging physicians to get permission from patients before disclosing their information.

5 References Blightman, K., Griffiths, S. E., & Danbury, C. (2016). Patient confidentiality: when can a breach be justified? Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain, 14(2), 52-56. https://academic.oup.com/bjaed/article/14/2/52/271401 Gustafson, K. E., & McNamara, J. R. (2017). Confidentiality with minor clients: Issues and guidelines for therapists. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 18(5), 503. https://www.asha.org/practice/ethics/confidentiality/ Mlinek, E. J., & Pierce, J. (2017). Confidentiality and privacy breaches in a university hospital emergency department. Academic Emergency Medicine, 4(12), 1142-1146. https://www.chartercollege.edu/news-hub/why-patient-confidentiality-so-important\ Schoenberg, R., & Safran, C. (2015). Internet-based repository of medical records that retains patient confidentiality. Bmj, 321(7270), 1199-1203. https://www.surgeryencyclopedia.com/Pa-St/Patient-Confidentiality.html

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