Patient Privacy Vs Confidentiality

information. The laws shielding privacy are certainly confusing; it is said that the HIPAA Privacy Rule would be measured the slightest shared denominator for the privacy regulations within that it would require obvious patient consents would only be for the use and disclosures of documents outside the purposes of treatments, payments, or even the functioning activities. The state by-laws are varied within the degrees in which private health info would be secure, in addition

Confidentiality is a concept of vast importance for professionals in the medical field. It is a professional obligation in this field and is considered to be an ethical concept that falls in line with integrity, compassion, veracity, charity, and fidelity as explained in both the International Council of Nurses Code for Nurses (1973) and the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics (1985). However, in today’s ever growing world of technology and demand for information, challenges continue to arise that force doctors and nurses to reexamine virtues such as confidentiality.

It is important for the both the patient and health care provider to understand what information is being protected, as to avoid any security breach. This protected information included any information in various medical records, patient conversations with all health care professionals about care and treatment, billing data, and a majority of other information regarding patient health. Any patient has the right to see and receive a copy of any health records, request correction be made to a variety of health-related information, control over who the medical records are shared with,

In this paper, I will discuss the principles that permit disclosure of protected health information with or without the patient’s consent for each of the four categories, government agencies, legal agencies or representatives and research groups. I will also state whether I feel privacy safeguards are adequate to support those principles.

Users, stakeholders, and agencies access stored patient’s health information easy access via the Internet. An easy access offers better patient’s care, but also increases concerns regarding the safety and confidentiality of the information. Medical records are extremely personal and should never be shared with anyone without patient’s consent or as required by law. Our government has implemented laws to protect the consumer’s health records. Strict enforcement of the laws has been effective in limiting breaches of confidentiality, although there are plenty of cases where information was exposed intentionally or inadvertently.

“One of the challenges facing the United States national adoption of electronic medical records is ensuring the privacy of electronically accessed information. It is essential that both patients and a variety of health professionals participate in these policy discussions so that important ethical issues can be contemplated and decisions regarding health record databases and their approved usage can be articulated nationally and globally.” (Purtilo, 2011)

The title of this fact sheet is Introduction to Health and Medical Information Privacy. This article was posted August 2014. This fact sheet explains what types of information exist to keep private and who has access. First, the type of information exist is the patient medical record. The medical record includes the patients’ medical history, social history, and family history. It also includes the patient lab test. Individuals that apply for disability, life or accident insurance have a collection of health and medical record. A medical record provide so much important information for one person.

The word “privacy” is often thrown around, but a deeper look into the word reveals that there is actually no universally accepted definition of the term (Nass, Levit, Gostin & Rule, 2009). Today, more than ever, confusion persists over what the word means, the value it holds, and its scope. This is because at a personal level, privacy holds a different and unique meaning to the individual. Healthcare organizations harness some of the most highly skilled competencies of any labor force, which equates to massive amounts of collaborating. Healthcare providers, administration, and others will share protected health information (PHI) with each other, as necessary, to carry out treatment plans, process payments, or any other operations necessary

Giving an individual the right to divulge only what they feel is necessary and appropriate for their situation gives them a sense of safety in what is known and able to be disclosed to others. All medical personal know that privacy of patients is their main priority in caring for each individual person; in so doing they know that any and all discussions of patients should be done in areas where no one is privy to over hearing or ease dropping on the conversation. In the issue of privacy of care nurses more so than any other person in the medical field have to make sure that they work diligently to keep all patients privacy intact, because nurses are the ones who have the most direct and intimate contact with the patients. “Patient confidentiality is a sacred trust. Nurses are important in ensuring that organizations create an environment to safeguard patients’ rights to confidentiality. As stated in the ANA Code of Ethics,” (ANA, 2001). Medical privacy is really important. When maintaining the privacy of medical information it saves a lot of lives because without the assurance of privacy people would avoid life-enhancing and life-saving treatments. If people feel that their information is not being protected then they will avoid getting treatment done. Privacy isn’t only a means to the

“From the point of view of deontological ethics, privacy is a moral right that patients are entitled to and it is bound to professional confidentiality. Otherwise, the information given by patients to health professionals would not be reliable and a trustable relationship could not be established.”

Privacy is the right of individuals to keep information about themselves from being disclosed (ATI, 2013). Patients decide who they want to know, when they should know, and where to share their health information. On the other hand, confidentiality is how nurses treat private information once it has been disclosed to others or ourselves (Anderson, 2013) this disclosure of information usually results from a relationship of trust. It assumes that health information is given with the expectation that it will not be made known except in ways that have been previously agreed upon, for example, for treatment, for payment of services, or for use in monitoring the quality of care that is being delivered. With the increasing use of technology as a provision of care in a clinical environment that’s fast paced, maintaining privacy and confidentiality can be an overwhelming

The Privacy Principle supports statement 1. Which is significant to follow as a health administrator, because I believe that it is essential to uphold the patient’s confidence and trust in the organization. I will ensure that patient’s health records are held confidential and medical information is not publicly disclosed. I will not let a stranger or a third person know the patient’s condition or purpose of visit unless the patient has given consent. I will follow the HIPAA regulations and avoid any privacy violations.

Creating a trusting environment by respecting patient privacy encourages the patient to seek care and to be as honest as possible during the course of a health care visit. It may also increase the patient’s willingness to seek care. For conditions that might be stigmatizing, such as reproductive, sexual, public health, and psychiatric health concerns, confidentiality assures that private information will not be disclosed to family or employers without their consent.

An important issue also posted in this discussion is patient personal information. Healthcare is among the most personal services rendered in our society; yet to deliver this care, scores of personnel must have access to intimate patient information. To receive appropriate care, patients must feel free to reveal personal information. In return, the health care provider must treat patient information confidentially and protect its security.

The confidentiality of patient visits and medical records are essential in providing the highest quality of health care. Under penalty of law, a patient's medical records or any other information regarding the patient may only be released with his or her authorization. Exceptions to this are certain cases specified by law for example, health care providers are required to report certain communicable diseases such as measles. Many organizations and laws have been developed to maintain patient's rights of confidentiality and access to their medical record. Guided by the principle that confidentiality is essential in developing strong trust between patients and healthcare providers, the