Ethical Dimensions in the Health Professions

Assess national regulations regarding confidentiality. What are the ethical considerations in the establishment of these laws?

Using as References:

Title: Ethical Dimensions in the Health Professions

Edition: 6th (2015)

Author: Doherty, Regina and Purtilo, Ruth

Publisher: Elsevier Science Book

ISBN: 978-0323328920

 

  • Read Chapter 9: “Honoring Confidentiality” in the book Ethical Dimensions in the Health Professions (6th ed.)
  • Read Chapter 10: “Communication and Information Sharing” in the book Ethical Dimensions in the Health Professions (6th ed.)
  • Read Chapter 11: “Informed Consent in Treatment and Clinical Research” in the book Ethical Dimensions in the Health Professions (6th ed.)

In two diferent paragraph give your personal to Crystal Moore and  Jordan Paltani

Crystal Moore

Confidentiality…what is the first thing you think of when you hear that word?

I think of privacy and security.

According to the text, confidentiality is defined by the practice of keeping harmful, shameful, or embarrassing patient information within the proper bounds (Doherty, 2016). In an article from the Journal of American Medical Association, regarding parents access to adolescent health information by using electronic health records, the topic of adolescent rights to their medical information is discussed. The argument results from adolescent teens who partake in drugs, alcohol and/or sexual promiscuity and their parents being able to view their medical  information also the protection of parents information as their behavior and medical history is often discussed and documented as well. The article further states that health information systems should be designed to protect sensitive data about the adolescent to the parent unless the adolescent gives consent (Bayer, 2015).

Should the medical information of a minor be easily accessible to their parents?

With the advancement of technology such as viewing lab results and clinical visits on your cell phone, how do you feel about adolescence under the age of 18 having the right to deny their parents access to their medical information?

I believe that the American culture in general views 18 years old as an adult. However, there are many 15 and 16 year old children who care for themselves and therefore should have the right to deny their parents access to their medical information. Some children are born into household where they unfortunately “grow up” early and have many responsibilities, if they can pay bills and work then why not give them full control over their medical rights?

Thoughts?

References:

Bayer, R., Santelli, J., & Klitzman, R. (2015). New challenges for electronic health records: confidentiality and access to sensitive health information about parents and adolescents. JAMA313(1), 29–30.

Doherty, R. F. (2016). Ethical dimensions in the health professions (6th Edition). St. Louis, MO.

Jordan Paltani

The obligation to protect the confidentiality of patient health information is imposed in every state by that state’s own law, as well as the minimally established requirements under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) as amended under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) and expanded under the HIPAA Omnibus Rule. Opinion 5.05 of the AMA Code of Ethics implies that trust—the bedrock of the patient-physician relationship—requires privacy protections. Beneficence and the health care professional’s fiduciary responsibility to patients entail not only commitments to protect and promote patients’ health-related and other interests, but also commitments to avoid causing loss or harm to one’s patients.

Health Information Confidentiality. (2020). Retrieved July 01, 2020, from https://www.ache.org/about-ache/our-story/our-commitments/ethics/ache-code-of-ethics/health-information-confidentiality

Majumder, M., & Guerrini, C. (2016, March 01). Federal Privacy Protections: Ethical Foundations, Sources of Confusion in Clinical Medicine, and Controversies in Biomedical Research. Retrieved July 01, 2020, from https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/federal-privacy-protections-ethical-foundations-sources-confusion-clinical-medicine-and/2016-03