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Nursing Informatics Unit 3 Week 3 Ethics, Legal, Safety and Privacy Issues

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Nursing Informatics (NSG 421)

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Academic year: 2021/2022
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1 Technology Amari Wiley Herzing University NSG421 Jennifer Dremann 2 Opening Technology is constantly around us. Technology keeps us connected with family and friends near, across the country and even around the world. Despite the ease technology has brought to our daily lives, in many aspects including healthcare, expense management, paying bills, banking, shopping and even reading, the security of our personal information is constantly at risk for getting into the wrong hands. Everyday hackers are finding creative ways to trick innocent individuals into giving their information or they find other ways to hack our accounts and get the information. It is the role of corporations and businesses to be able to provide their clients and patients with the safety measures to be able to keep any information given to them out of the hands of those who wish to pose them harm. Healthcare facilities like any other company, need to be able to provide patients that are trusting them with their private information with a feeling of security. need to be able to have a feeling of confidence that their healthcare facilities will protect the shared information from not only hackers, but employers, families and friends. It has been noted that a trust of, and relationship with, the healthcare provider can significantly affect outcomes and quality of life (Young et al., 2018). Ethical Considerations When using telehealth services, healthcare and government officials need to determine if the same healthcare providers who had access to patient records and charts still received access. Organizations need to determine how the information healthcare providers need to perform their jobs should be accessed and stored. Organizations need a universal informed consent form to give patients and families that clearly explains the benefits and risks of using 4 constantly serviced and updated. These companies should ensure that all videos, audio, sent messages and images (patient sent photos, ct scans etc.) are all stored securely (Young et al., 2018). Providers should still follow the same practices of protecting patient information they use in traditional healthcare settings when using any form of telehealth services which includes, using password protected devices, locking devices when not in use (when stepping away leaving the room). The United States Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should still be over ensuring the safety, effectiveness and security of hardware, medical devices and software used to deliver telehealth services (Young et al., 2018). Legal Considerations Most states in the United States and countries around the world require license officials including healthcare professionals to be licensed in the area in which they are practicing ex. nursing. With the use of telehealth services, healthcare professionals would be able to care for patients not only within the state in which they currently practice but even in other states (Panter, 2021). Telehealth would challenge that licensing requirement as the healthcare professionals seeing patients using outside the state of practice and licensings have a license to practice or treat patients in other states which becomes a legal issue if something goes potentially wrong. Allowing healthcare professionals in any role to not have a license to practice in other states, puts the healthcare provider at risk for lawsuits and losing their license to practice because they protected. Another legal issue telehealth poses is telehealth providers prescribing medications without ever meeting the patient in person first (Panter, 2021). Prescribing medications without knowing an medical history is dangerous and potentially life threatening. Another big risk with using telehealth services includes the 5 meetings with patients and providers are confidential if they are occurring in public places or using public internet that have security in place. Unprotected networks increase the risk of hacking and allowing meetings to occur in public places means that anything a patient or provider says kept being patients unless headphones are worn, but it hide what the speaker is saying to the other individual on the screen. In the world of technology, we have smartphones, tablets, computers (laptops and desktops) that allow video calls to occur. These technology devices are constantly being attacked resulting in software updates being released often to keep users protected. We have seen classroom zoom calls get taken over those without the zoom link, kicking the teacher out while young students are trying to attend class and learn. We have seen ba monitors connected to the internet get hacked and strangers are watching and talking with young children. Safety Considerations With the use of telehealth services during the 2020 COVID pandemic, patients and healthcare providers were able to do their part in reducing the spread of COVID. using telehealth services as much as possible when appropriate to keep emergency rooms, hospitals, urgent cares and clinics visit to a minimum allowed for decreased patient contact. Telehealth services have allowed individuals in underserved areas, individuals and those concerned about friends and family members to get the necessary care they deserve without increasing their chance of contracting COVID entering healthcare settings unless it was absolutely necessary. Telehealth services allowed healthcare providers to still see patients who needed to be seen in clinic to get the care they needed in a timely manner, as those who seriously ill or could be treated and seen using telehealth services taking up much needed 7 providers. Telehealth services allow all those with internet access and technology devices with cameras and microphones to become a office at the convenience of patients without having to drive a few minutes or hours to one appointment. As a result of this convenience to patients, they are more likely to keep their scheduled appointments instead of rescheduling or cancelling. Although telehealth brings benefits to healthcare providers and patients alike, it also brings risks and challenges. Telehealth before the COVID pandemic. The COVID pandemic changed healthcare and brought unexpected challenges that healthcare organizations and government officials rushed to solve. In response to the pandemic, government officials loosened restrictions on telehealth services to allow healthcare services to still be provided to patients. According to Scott, U. Department of Health and Human Office for Civil Rights (OCR) enforces HIPAA requirements. It announced on March 17, 2020, that will exercise its enforcement discretion and will not impose penalties for noncompliance with the regulatory requirements under the HIPAA Rules against covered health care providers in connection with the good faith provision of telehealth during the nationwide public health With the use of telehealth services the risk of patient information getting into the wrong hands increases. Healthcare officials need to ensure they are doing everything possible to ensure patient information is protected and secured. Healthcare officials need to ensure they are still following the same regulations they use in clinic when using telehealth services. Telehealth services currently regulated the same as in person treatments. Many things still need to be determined and established to ensure that both patients and healthcare providers are protected. As technology changes, the way we provide 8 healthcare services should also change while ensuring our patients safety. 10 Varkey, B. (2020). Principles of clinical ethics and their application to practice. Medical Principles and Practice. Young, J., Borgetti, S., Clapham, P. (2018). Exploring the Ethical Issues. In DePaul J. Health Care L.

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Nursing Informatics Unit 3 Week 3 Ethics, Legal, Safety and Privacy Issues

Course: Nursing Informatics (NSG 421)

54 Documents
Students shared 54 documents in this course

University: Herzing University

Was this document helpful?
1
Technology
Amari Wiley
Herzing University
NSG421
Jennifer Dremann
9/25/2021