2 Nursing informatics We can, But dare we ? Nursing informatics Introduction

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Nursing informatics

We can, But dare we ?

Nursing informatics

Introduction

Clinicians today rely heavily on technology to record, organize, and retrieve patient information. There has been a marked improvement in patient outcomes and efficiency of care due to the widespread adoption of information and communication technologies in the healthcare sector. On the other hand, a unique set of rules and regulations must be followed when utilizing healthcare technology. This reflection explains what may happen if a registered nurse coordinator were to snap a photo of a renowned actor’s medical records and share them on social media. The story follows a registered nurse coordinator following a chemical attack on numerous city residents. While reviewing patient information, the nurse coordinator recognizes the name Bruce Banner, who also happens to be an actor of note. The nurse coordinator then takes a picture of the relevant data and announces the discovery via their various online social media channels.

The violation of HIPAA, followed by the exposure of sensitive patient data, might potentially have highly negative repercussions. Both the nurse and the institution stand to incur significant repercussions, including the loss of patients’ trust and the possibility of legal action being taken against them. In addition, it may damage the healthcare organization’s reputation, leading patients to lose faith in the whole healthcare system (Schönberger, 2019). Hence, all parties participating in the healthcare business must be aware of the legal and ethical considerations that come into play when utilizing healthcare technology. Only then can we ensure patients’ privacy and continue building trust in the healthcare system. Given the situation, people would naturally begin to talk about the moral and legal consequences of what happened and provide solutions to avoid similar problems in the future.

HIPAA, Legal, and Regulatory Discussion

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, also known as HIPAA, is a piece of federal legislation that was enacted to protect the privacy of patient’s medical records. The use of and disclosure of patients’ protected health information (PHI) is subject to the stringent regulations of HIPAA (Oyeleye, 2021). It is unequivocally a violation of HIPAA to photograph a prominent actor’s medical data and then post those photographs on social media without first obtaining permission from the actor. Consequently, you would violate HIPAA if you did this, which could lead to legal action against you.

The use of healthcare IT is subject to a wide range of laws and regulations, not just HIPAA. For instance, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act was passed in 2009 and established guidelines for using electronic health data. The HITECH Act mandates that healthcare providers safeguard patient information while making it accessible and usable (Schönberger, 2019). In addition, healthcare institutions must give their professionals the education and training they need to use technology safely and ethically. The use of social media and other channels of communication should reflect this. Healthcare institutions should have policies outlining proper and incorrect technology use to ensure that all physicians are trained and held accountable.

Scenario Ending and Recommendations

The conclusion that was decided upon for the scenario involves a violation of HIPAA and, as a result, the disclosure of sensitive customer information to the media. This is a serious issue for the medical facility and the nurse working there because a patient’s loss of trust could lead to legal action. The nurse could have taken a different approach to making the situation somewhat less severe. To begin, the nurse broke the regulations of HIPAA when she took a snapshot of the material and then posted it online without obtaining permission from the patient (Oyeleye, 2021). To comply with HIPAA requirements and preserve her patients’ privacy, the nurse should have known better than to take photographs and post them online. In addition, the nurse should have been aware that it was inappropriate to post the image online and that doing so would constitute a breach of HIPAA.

In addition, the nurse was accountable for ensuring the confidentiality of the patient’s personal information. This may have been achieved by encrypting the data and storing it securely. Access controls for a nurse must have been in place to ensure that only those permitted individuals may view patient information (Krick et al., 2019). Ultimately, the nurse said the material had not been shared with the media. Instead, they could have averted this situation by not posting the photo online or by trying to safeguard the data. If these processes had been followed, the nurse and the hospital might have avoided violating HIPAA and the subsequent legal repercussions.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Technological breakthroughs have made it simpler for physicians to access and store patient data. This is one of the many benefits that these advancements have brought about. Nurses can deliver treatment to patients of a higher quality while simultaneously saving time thanks to technology improvements that allow for real-time access to information about patients (Krick et al., 2019). The advancement of technology has made it possible for nurses to easily access and keep patient information up to date with minimal effort. On the other hand, to use technology in the field of medicine, one needs to conform to a particular set of guidelines and standards.

Nurses must use healthcare technology consistent with professional and ethical standards to protect patient’s rights to privacy, autonomy, and other values. Nurses must be aware of and adhere to all applicable laws and regulations when using technology in healthcare, especially HIPAA. We must take precautions to prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing or using patient information (Oyeleye, 2021). Nurses must also stay within legal bounds while seeking their patients’ best interests. Also, nurses must watch their digital activity to prevent evil or unethical behavior. No pictures of patient records should be taken or shared online. Severe implications might result, such as legal action, patient confidence loss, and faith erosion in healthcare organizations.

Conclusion and Reflections

In conclusion, I better grasp the legal, ethical, and regulatory concerns of utilizing healthcare technology. While employing technology in the healthcare setting, nurses must do so in a way that respects patients’ rights to privacy, confidentiality, and decision-making. As an additional precaution, nurses should ensure that their technological healthcare practices do not violate HIPAA or other applicable laws. This new information will cause me to modify some of my practices as a healthcare provider in the future. First, I will be more conscious of the ethical and legal constraints when using new technologies in healthcare settings. In addition, I will check that I respect my patients’ privacy and always act in their best interests. Lastly, I promise to be extremely careful with patient information and never give it to anyone who should not have it.

References

Krick, T., Huter, K., Domhoff, D., Schmidt, A., Rothgang, H., & Wolf-Ostermann, K. (2019). Digital technology and nursing care: a scoping review on acceptance, effectiveness and efficiency studies of informal and formal care technologies. BMC health services research, 19, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4238-3

Schönberger, D. (2019). Artificial intelligence in healthcare: a critical analysis of the legal and ethical implications. International Journal of Law and Information Technology, 27(2), 171-203. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijlit/eaz004

Oyeleye, O. A. (2021). The HIPAA Privacy Rule, COVID-19, and nurses’ privacy rights. Nursing2022, 51(2), 11-14.  DOI: 10.1097/01.NURSE.0000731892.59941.a9