Administrative Ethics Paper

Administrative Ethics Paper You see it everywhere: work, school, shopping malls, and though it is considered illegal in most states, the car next to you at the stop light. People are on their cell phones talking or text messaging (TM). There are some cell phones that can connect to the internet, but most cell phones have the ability for short message service (SMS), also known as texting. Cell phones and TM are great ways to keep in touch with co-workers, friends, family members, and now physicians and their offices.
The Issue and its Impact on the Population it Affects Most. Physicians, dentists, and even mental health counselors are using TM for administrative tasks such as scheduling or appointment reminders. Mental health counselors in private practice are also using electronic communication (e-mail and TM) to keep in touch with patients in between face to face (FTF) meetings to provide encouragement or interventions. Electronic communication such as e-mails and TM also makes documentation of such transactions into the EMR easier for the counselor. According to Sude (2013), “for counselors in private practice, TM is a low-cost and convenient tool” (p. 212). As with all technology, comes risk. With the improvement of information technology, health care services, especially psychiatry has changed. The major issue is confidentiality because of the sensitivity of the psychiatric electronic medical record (EMR). Within large psychiatric and medical organizations the EMR may pass through hundreds of hands with various levels of needed access to this information, therefore, possibly compromising patient confidentiality. According to Dunne, Sarvet, Lambert, & Wertheimer (2012), “the risk of confidentiality breaches and security has always existed with conventional psychiatric records, the automation and speed of electronic communication may increase this risk” (p. 32). Arguments or Facts Used in the Article that Support the Proposed

References: Dunne, J. E., Sarvet, B., Lambert, Kristen, JD, & Wertheimer, Moira,J.D. (2012). New risks to confidentiality in the modern era. Psychiatric Times, 29(12), 32-34. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1269449668?accountid=458 Farnan, J., Snyder Sulmasy, L., Worster, B., Chaudhry, H., Rhyne, J., & Arora, V. (2013). Online medical professionalism: patient and public relationships: policy statement from the American College of Physicians and the Federation of State Medical Boards. Annals Of Internal Medicine, 158(8), 620-627. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-158-8-201304160-00100 Sude, M. E. (2013). Text messaging and private practice: Ethical challenges and guidelines for developing personal best practices. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 35(3), 211- 227. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1404761308?accountid