Data Collection Ethics in Primary Healthcare Essay
Health Information Technology (HIT) provides an overall logical framework upon which computerized systems are used to manage healthcare information within the healthcare sector (Tomasi, 2010). HIT makes the exchange of the healthcare information between the insurers, consumers, healthcare providers, independent quality and governmental agencies possible. The main purpose of the Health Information Technology is to improve the overall efficiency, safety, and quality of the service delivery within the healthcare systems. The health care experts, policy makers, payers and consumers consider health information technologies, such as electronic health records and computerized provider order entry, to be critical to transforming the health care industry.Data Collection Ethics in Primary Healthcare Essay
W. defines Health Information as the systems of computer program software and physical hardware components that systematically function to process, store, retrieve, use, and share healthcare knowledge, data, and information for the purposes of the communication within the healthcare system. The information, knowledge and data accrued from the Health Information Technology (HIT) are very useful in the development of various public health policies because they provide precise details about the patterns of all epidemics in a given population, prevalence of infections, frequency of various diseases within the healthcare system.Data Collection Ethics in Primary Healthcare Essay
The concept of HIT has fully infiltrated all the major healthcare systems in the provision of primary health care across the world. As observed by Tomasi (2010) in their health care publication, Health information technologies in primary health care in developing countries: a literature review, all the major health care systems provides for the computerization of their data system within their expansive areas of operation. The report further elaborates that the success of this technological advancement in the healthcare sector calls for the concerted efforts of the IT experts, consultants, policy makers, medical care givers and insurers. Each of these stakeholders plays an important role in the computerization of the healthcare systems.
The information technology experts will develop all the necessary hardware and software programs that will meet the demands of the healthcare services as far as networking of all healthcare systems within a given area of operation is concerned. These are the basic components which are necessary for the effective computerization of the health care systems. Similarly, the contributions of the healthcare experts and healthcare policy makers are also crucial in the development of Health Information Technology because they lay down all the fundamental features to be included in the programs under development. The contributions of these stakeholders ensure that the HIT covers all the major areas of the healthcare systems without any fail.
According to W., there are basic features of the Health Information Technology that must be put into consideration in the development of various healthcare programs. First of all, software programs of the HIT must be user friendly in the sense that all categories of the healthcare practitioners and service providers must find these programs easy to learn and use. This quality will ensure that the HIT programs and the subsequent computerization of the healthcare information is realized considering that all the healthcare providers fully embrace its applications in the management of health information. Secondly, the HIT must indiscriminately integrate all areas of health care operations into its systems for the purposes of universality. In this way, the HIT will comprehensively satisfy all the needs within the healthcare systems.Data Collection Ethics in Primary Healthcare Essay
The HIT has completely revolutionized the operations of the healthcare provision in different parts of the world. Many governments have made it their policy that all health records have to be stored within the Electronic Health Record . The health records in paper files are no longer kept in the metallic cabins where they are liable to physical destruction, misplacement, or manipulations and are difficult to retrieve should there any need arise. Walker, Bieber & Richard, Electronic Health Record (EHR) is the commonest application of the Health Information Technology applied within the health care industry on a day-to-day basis.
According to W., Electronic Health Record (EHR) is the systematic gathering and storage of an individual patient’s electronic health information within the systems of Health Information Technology. These stored electronic health information could then be retrieved for future uses. EHR provides a technological platform upon which all heath records of a particular individual entity could be all consolidated under one portfolio within the healthcare system. The resultant e-records could then be accessed by different healthcare providers from the system in different locations at the same time. This is the superiority of the EHR over the filing system of health information records. The use of Health Information Technology (IT) in the healthcare sector is a growing reality in many parts of the world- both developed and developing alike. Many governments have made a policy that the healthcare facilities such as hospitals must keep electronic records of the health information within the HIT and these governments have also provided adequate funds to ensure that the cost of installing HIT systems are catered for. According to the statistics given by W., 61% of the world healthcare systems have fully embraced the HIT in the management of their information, 31% are still in the process of computerizing their health records while a small percentage of 8% use the traditional filing system. However, the Elaine is categorical that in healthcare systems (mostly poor developing countries) where HIT is either partially or not embraced, strategic plans are underway to ensure that all their healthcare systems are computerized by the year 2018 as stipulated in their strategic development goals.Data Collection Ethics in Primary Healthcare Essay
All the information systems within the healthcare systems as given by healthcare providers, insurers, and the medical facilities are interconnected through the highly modernized infrastructure of the healthcare information technology. The highly centralized healthcare information system acts as a server to all component terminals within the infrastructure. All forms of data are first sent to the central database for storage after which they can be strictly accessed by authorized entities from the system. Besides the data security maintained within the Electronic Health Records, the independent Information systems are capable of storing, relaying and retrieving clients’ information from the database at any given time without any difficulty. For this reason, it greatly increases the efficiency of the healthcare systems.
The components of the Health Information Technology systems ensure that all the healthcare facilities and service providers can adequately manage their database without any possible error. All information entered into the EHR is accurate and not liable to any manipulation since they system highly encrypted to lock out manipulations of stored data. Unlike in the filing system, the EHR guarantees the clients’ confidential information maximum safety against unauthorized access. This feature makes the EHR a preferred choice of keeping healthcare information. Data security is another reason why healthcare providers resort to the electronic health records. Once clinical/medical information is collected from the client (patient), it is converted into digital electronic records which is then stored into the system for future references. The e-records cannot be lost from the system as would be the case with physical paperwork kept in a file.
There are several side benefits that are associated with the HIT. Considering that the HIT tracks all the clinical history of a patient, all the medications and prescribed drugs are enlisted in the system against the exact dates when they were dispensed. Most importantly, the system also contains other sensitive information about an individual patient before hand for example group of drugs the patient adversely reacts to, medical conditions such as hypertension, and asthma. In this way, any attending doctor or medical practitioners will be able to get all the relevant information on the onset of medication. As such, the electronic health record system reduces medical error by a larger margin above 78%.
Furthermore, the improvement of the heath care quality is another advantage that HIT introduces into the health care system. The introduction of the telemedicine allows the patients to directly seek the expertise services of the medical practitioners without necessarily visiting the health facilities. The Health Information Technology will then allow the medical experts to conduct elaborate diagnosis online via Electronic Health Record with precision (Gartee, 2011). This unfolding technological advancement in the health sector makes heath accessible and affordable to an increasing number of people within the society.Data Collection Ethics in Primary Healthcare Essay
The existence of an elaborate Information Technology infrastructure between the healthcare service providers and healthcare facilities such as hospitals and medical care services allows for the maintenance of accurate electronic health records (Kirch, 2008). The electronic health records contain all the necessary medical information about a particular patient in a consolidated manner notwithstanding changes in the medical service providers or geographical location because all these information are integrated at the wider National Health Information Network.
The architectural design of the EHR guarantees accurate and reliable transmission of data within the integrated healthcare system. The EHR has made it possible to integrate all the components of the Clinical Information Systems (information about the medications given by medical practitioners to a particular patient) and the hospital information systems (records of patients’ particulars by a particular health facility for their internal use). The introduction of health information technology has brought about much transformation in the healthcare industry. HIT increases efficiency of the healthcare services therefore many hospitals and other healthcare providers have increased their capacity to extend their services clients (Walker, Bieber & Richards, 2006). Similarly, patients are happy with the high quality services of the healthcare providers.
Ethical Issues in Healthcare Management
Health care in the 21st century is governed by a confusing array of rules, regulations, laws and ethical standards. Issues that involve confidentiality, informed consent and patient relationships can appear out of nowhere, even when health care workers have the best of intentions. What’s legal today might not be considered ethical, and there is the ever-present threat of being sued for negligence and malpractice. There are unresolved issues around doctor assisted dying that have yet to be worked out, while medical procedures considered ethical for adults might not be seen as ethical for minors.
Here are the top five ethical issues that health care managers of today and tomorrow will be facing in the course of delivering responsible and compassionate patient care.Data Collection Ethics in Primary Healthcare Essay
1. Patient Confidentiality
Information about a patient’s medical condition is considered private. Violating a patient’s confidentiality can hurt the patient and have legal and ethical consequences for the health care worker. The Health Insurance Portability and Accounting Act (HIPAA) has drawn up specific laws that govern the release of a patient’s medical information. These laws state clearly the type of patient information that can be released to third parties and which information must be kept confidential. The laws also set forth who can see the information and who cannot. Although these laws appear straightforward, there are grey areas such as when withholding information about a patient’s condition would be unethical because it could harm the patient or someone else.
2. Patient Relationships
Health care providers are ethically prohibited from entering into personal relationships with patients in the course of providing treatment. Violating this policy, especially if it involves a sexual relationship, can result in losing a license to practice, in being sued and in being forbidden to provide any kind of healthcare services in the future. Entering into a sexual relationship with a patient is considered a serious violation of that patient’s rights and an act of misconduct and abuse of power on the part of the health care worker. When under medical care, a patient is considered vulnerable and unable to defend or protect themselves. Even the appearance of a sexual relationship with a patient can have serious consequences for a health care practitioner.
3. Malpractice And Negligence
Health care providers are always at risk for being charged with malpractice and negligence. A patient who is harmed by defective medical equipment or products, injured in the course of a medical treatment or placed in danger because of medication errors can sue to recover their losses. Patients can also sue when health care providers fail to provide a critically needed treatment or service. Due to the ever-present threat of litigation, health care providers must carefully cover all the bases in the course of providing patient care.Data Collection Ethics in Primary Healthcare Essay
4. Informed Consent
In order for any medical treatment to be considered legal, the patient must first provide the health care worker with an informed consent. Unless a patient provides informed consent for a procedure, that procedure can considered an assault or even a homicide if the patient were to die as a result of treatment. Informed consent means that a patient has had all of their questions answered and freely agrees to a treatment or procedure with full knowledge of the risks, benefits and possible consequences. Informed consent also means that patients are informed about other options as well as about the option of doing nothing.
5. Issues Related To Physician Assisted Suicide (PAD)
Most health care professionals are aware that physician assisted dying is already legal in states like California and Oregon. Support for PAD is growing in momentum as the baby boom generation gets older. Surveys show that roughly 50 percent of doctors now support some form of physician assisted dying. These days, physicians are broadening the concept of “Do no harm” to include providing relief for those who are dying and suffering as a result of a fatal illness.
We are moving into an era that will provide increasing options for medical care. Innovative technologies, cutting-edge medical procedures and state-of-the-art treatments are designed to give people longer and more productive lives. But as we move forward, concerns about the future of medical care and its effect on the patients it was designed to treat will become increasingly important.
According to a new study from the University of California Berkeley, advances in artificial intelligence have rendered the privacy standards set by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) obsolete. In fact, stripping healthcare data of identifying information doesn’t guarantee HIPAA compliance. Current laws simply aren’t sufficient to protect an individual’s health data. This is a problem in part because the same data is incredibly valuable for companies building an AI system. And as AI in healthcare becomes more and more commonplace, data privacy experts are raising big red flags about the ethical implications.Data Collection Ethics in Primary Healthcare Essay
Consumer health data goes way beyond demographics
Healthcare providers, insurance agencies, bio pharma companies and other stakeholders don’t just store typical consumer data (demographics, preferences, and the like). A typical patient’s healthcare file adds data on symptoms, treatments, and other health concerns.
AI in healthcare focuses on analyzing consumer health data to improve outcomes by suggesting diagnoses, reading medical device images, accelerating medical research and development, and more.
In this article, we’ll explore a few alarming ways AI solutions in healthcare are using consumer health data. As you read, consider this question:
How can we balance the potential for positive health outcomes with concerns over health data privacy, ethics, and human rights?
The largest social media platform uses AI to store and act on users mental health data with no legal safeguards in place
Healthcare privacy regulations in place from HIPAA don’t even begin to cover tech companies. HIPAA only protects patient health data when it comes from organizations that provide healthcare services, such as insurance companies and hospitals.
This upshot of this was demonstrated in late 2017 when Facebook rolled out a “suicide detection algorithm” in an effort to promote suicide awareness and prevention. The system uses AI to gather data from your posts and then predict your mental state and propensity to commit suicide.
Data is now one of our world’s most precious resources, and over the last few years, businesses have been learning how to use it to become more successful and profitable. Big data, a term that is used to refer to the use of analyzing large data sets to provide useful insights, isn’t just available to huge corporations with big budgets. Companies of all sizes are getting in on the action to improve their marketing, cut costs, and become more efficient. As a result, ethical challenges of big data have begun to surface.
Big data is useful in nearly any industry, but it has huge potential in the healthcare field to trim waste and improve the patient experience. Although there are lots of advantages to using data in healthcare, there are some challenges that are slowing down widespread adoption in the industry. New legal and ethical challenges are affecting the future of big data in healthcare, and other industries too.Data Collection Ethics in Primary Healthcare Essay
New Risks of Big Data
It’s no secret that electronically storing patient data has led to a whole host of new problems in the last few years. Cyber attacks, leading to data breaches, have compromised the privacy of millions of patients in the United States. In 2017 alone, there were 477 breaches identified at healthcare organizations, affecting 5.6 million patient records.
Beyond blatant theft, electronic records give healthcare providers better research tools, allowing predictive analytics to identify patterns in large data sets. While this is fantastic for medical research and treatment, there are ethical challenges of how to use the data without harming patients. All health businesses are needing to adopt better ways to implement security and keep patients records private.
Technology, although it’s helped businesses evolve and given more analytics to work with, it’s also opened up an even greater number of lawsuits for various complaints. Everyone is extra cautious of breaking laws and malpractice because they don’t want a lawsuit. Issues around big data and security are arising in many fields, and it’s necessary to be mindful of best practices in whatever field you’re in.