Riley, M.
http://medicalstudentblog.co.uk
Health information may be compromised in multiple ways, including from internal and external sources. There may be accidental disclosures when protected information is overheard by another party; there may be internal disclosures through curiosity-seekers or those seeking to make a profit or cause harm; externally, data-miners and hackers may compromise confidential health information (Rindfleisch, n.d.). By using technology appropriately, there may be a reasonable reduction in the use of personal health information, thereby limiting the potential for unwanted disclosures of information.
It is important to protect confidential information using every means possible. In the current digital age, technology is advancing the avenues available for securing confidential information. HIPAA and the HITECH Act have afforded legal advancements for ensuring that electronic data is treated in a confidential manner (Rodriguez, 2009; Fremgen, 2009; Blumenthal, 2009). The most recent significant federal legislation, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), supplied $19 billion USD in providing incentives for the adoption and use of health information technology (HIT) and electronic health records (Blumenthal, 2009). As the healthcare system transitions into a state of electronic data, it is necessary to consider ways in order to protect personal health information.
One recent change that safeguards private information through technology is that the HITECH Act requires that breaches of confidentiality be promptly reported to the patient (Blumenthal, 2009). By offering legal and financial sanctions in the forms of fines and possible incarceration, the exchange of electronic information for unnecessary or unlawful purposes is discouraged; disclosures without proper permissions or necessity are reprimanded. Similarly, any access into confidential information may be documented and reviewed for legitimacy; thereby discouraging curiosity-seekers and minimizing unnecessary breaches of confidential information within an electronic medium.
References
Blumenthal, D., M.D., M.P.P. (2009). Stimulating the adoption of health information technology. Retrieved 25 November 2009 from http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/360/15/1477.
Fremgen, B. (2009). Medical law and ethics (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Health.
Rindfleisch, T. (n.d.). Confidentiality, information technology and health care. Stanford School of Medicine. Retrieved 25 November 2009 from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.18.2296&rep=rep1&type=pdf.
Rodriguez, R., Ph.D. (2009, November 19). Chat posting. Retrieved from AIU Online Virtual Campus. Chat 1 week 2. The ethical and legal aspects of healthcare: HCM410-0904B-02 website.
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