According to HIPAA laws, any health information transmitted or kept electronically qualifies as PHI. It is also essential to realize that (PHI) encompasses written and spoken patient data transmissions. When it comes to hospitals and clinics, most of the retained documents are considered protected health information (PHI) (Isola & Al Khalili, 2020).
The HIPAA privacy legislation applies to nearly every hospital or medical facility component. Protected health information (PHI) must always be private at work or home. Any healthcare provider should give only the minimum quantity of health information, including HR or connected services. When a pharmacist is ready to offer a patient medicine, they should inquire if they understand how to take it and follow up with their doctor. It is not permissible to have a lengthy conversation with the patient before other persons (Chuma & Ngoepe, 2021).
This regulation applies to any healthcare worker communicating with a patient-care worker. A radiologist may, for example, inquire of the ordering medical resident as to why the test is being performed on the patient and whether or not it is the most appropriate course of action. However, the radiologist cannot discuss this with anybody not involved in the patient’s care. In all such situations, it is imperative that the doctor first determine whether or not the patient is willing to accept the disclosure of their medical information to other parties by obtaining the patient’s consent. This rule covers text, audio, and video recordings (Solimini et al., 2021).
There must be legal concerns to ensure the patient is not harmed when employing telehealth. The main worry with telemedicine is data breaches and patient confidentiality. Nurses and IT should work together to prevent security breaches that might have several effects (Solimini et al., 2021). If telehealth policies are not adhered to, it may result in criminal prosecution and other repercussions. Before recording or not storing any patient data, there should be consent. Increasing awareness and educating the public will help telemedicine be utilized more morally (Gajarawala & Pelkowski, 2020).
In general, technological advancements have not been accompanied by respect for secrecy. Despite efforts to protect secrecy, there are situations when a breach is inevitable but not always immoral. Health workers are aware of confidentiality but unsure how to prevent and commit many breaches. We offer a rough draft of an ethical code of conduct for clinical settings that outlines how confidentiality should be maintained and when it is acceptable to violate it. The three factors above of maintaining patient privacy in a healthcare setting, management concerns, organizational ethics, and the doctor-patient relationship are all included in this draught (Elhoseny et al., 2021).
In light of this, all healthcare professionals should safeguard patient information, whether it is stored in paper or digital health records. All healthcare practitioners should recognize the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which the United States of America passed in 1996 and which protects patient information. The HIPAA also includes record storage, inspection rules, and additional measures to avoid data abuse (CDC, 2018).
In general, the absoluteness of secrecy is questioned anytime there are worries regarding the safety of a third party or public health. Unless otherwise stated in relevant normative standards, sharing of patient data should only occur with their consent in modern medicine. Some exceptions to complete confidentiality without patients’ agreement are listed in this draught (Varkey, 2021). Confidentiality may be violated in the following circumstances:
1) In response to a legally valid request
2) When doing so is in the patient’s best interest
3) When preserving society’s welfare
4) When doing so is essential to
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