Administrative Ethics - Paper 7
Administrative Ethics Paper
Maria Spano
HCS/335
10/28/11
Instructor: Rhonda Dempsey
Administrative Ethics Paper Patients’ health care information and medical records are very personal and private pieces of information. Therefore, patient privacy and confidentiality are issues that are imperative and are not taken lightly by U.S. law and regulations. However, just because patient privacy and confidentiality is protected by law, it does not always mean that they are upheld. According to Garrett et al. (2009), in medicine “…truthfulness and confidentiality exist in an often uneasy tension” (p. 109). This is because privacy and confidentiality depends on the social cooperation of human beings. In an article in the Pamplin College of Business Magazine titled “Privacy or savings?”, the article focuses on patient privacy and how electronic health records (EHRs) can help the health care industry save billions of dollars, but has considerable risks involved in the U.S that must be taken into account before they are fully implemented in U.S. health care. This paper will describe the patient privacy issues brought up in the article, the argument and facts that support the use of EHRs as a solution to the issue but what changes are needed, ethical and legal issues of the solution, managerial responsibilities related to the issue, and proposed solutions to the administrative ethical issue.
Population Affected The population that is most affected by the privacy issues presented by EHRs are any individuals that have received medical care (patients). According to Pamplin College of Business Magazine, EHRs “can potentially save billions of dollars in health care costs and increase patient safety, but have considerable risks to individual privacy…” (2011, para. 1). This is a major reason as to why the U.S. health care industry has yet to adopt and fully implement EHRs like other health care industries such as the European Union (EU). Due to EHRs are used over
Maria Spano
HCS/335
10/28/11
Instructor: Rhonda Dempsey
Administrative Ethics Paper Patients’ health care information and medical records are very personal and private pieces of information. Therefore, patient privacy and confidentiality are issues that are imperative and are not taken lightly by U.S. law and regulations. However, just because patient privacy and confidentiality is protected by law, it does not always mean that they are upheld. According to Garrett et al. (2009), in medicine “…truthfulness and confidentiality exist in an often uneasy tension” (p. 109). This is because privacy and confidentiality depends on the social cooperation of human beings. In an article in the Pamplin College of Business Magazine titled “Privacy or savings?”, the article focuses on patient privacy and how electronic health records (EHRs) can help the health care industry save billions of dollars, but has considerable risks involved in the U.S that must be taken into account before they are fully implemented in U.S. health care. This paper will describe the patient privacy issues brought up in the article, the argument and facts that support the use of EHRs as a solution to the issue but what changes are needed, ethical and legal issues of the solution, managerial responsibilities related to the issue, and proposed solutions to the administrative ethical issue.
Population Affected The population that is most affected by the privacy issues presented by EHRs are any individuals that have received medical care (patients). According to Pamplin College of Business Magazine, EHRs “can potentially save billions of dollars in health care costs and increase patient safety, but have considerable risks to individual privacy…” (2011, para. 1). This is a major reason as to why the U.S. health care industry has yet to adopt and fully implement EHRs like other health care industries such as the European Union (EU). Due to EHRs are used over
References: Garrett, T. M., Baillie, H. W., & Garrett, R. M. (2009). Health care ethics: Principles and problems (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Privacy or savings?. (2011, Fall). Pamplin College of Business , (), . Retrieved from http://www.magazine.pamplin.vt.edu/fall11/healthprivacy.html Volz, S. (2011). The Advantage & Disadvantages of an EHR. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/list_6134055_advantages-disadvantages-ehr.html