Technology, Data Security, and Ethics

Create a response in a manner of your choosing (an 8-slide PowerPoint or a 35 page paper) covering the potential impact of examining a patient’s mental health records via the health information exchange (HIE) during a standard ER visit.

Organizations like the Joint Commission and the National Committee for Quality Assurance collect and share a lot of information on quality indicators that are used by the industry, government, and consumers. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which Congress passed in 1996, protects the privacy and confidentiality of patient health records. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services makes sure that organizations follow these rules and offers support and guidance to healthcare leaders.

The use of health information technology and electronic health records is improving the quality of care and creating more job opportunities in healthcare. However, healthcare managers need to stay updated on the fast changes in technology, both for management and clinical purposes, and understand the ethical issues that come with them. Data security breaches can have serious consequences, including high legal costs and damage to an organizations reputation and trust within the industry and community.

The healthcare team must carefully weigh the principles of patient privacy, autonomy, beneficence, and nonmaleficence while navigating this ethical dilemma.

A health information exchange (HIE) is in place, connecting various healthcare providers within a region. The HIE successfully shares patient health information to improve care coordination and patient outcomes. However, a challenging ethical dilemma arises concerning the sharing of mental health records.

Sarah is a 32-year-old woman who has been receiving treatment for severe depression and anxiety for the past five years. She has sought care from multiple healthcare providers, including a primary care physician, a psychiatrist, and a therapist, all of whom have contributed to her electronic health record (EHR). Sarah has made significant progress in her treatment, but her mental health history is sensitive and deeply personal.

One day, Sarah experiences a medical emergency and is rushed to the emergency room at a local hospital that participates in the HIE. The emergency room staff access her electronic health record through the HIE to gather critical medical information. While treating her physical condition, they discover her detailed mental health history, including past suicide attempts, hospitalizations, and notes about her ongoing therapy.

Create a response in a manner of your choosing (an 8-slide PowerPoint with expansion in notes section, or a 35 page paper) covering the following areas:

• Privacy versus care: Should the emergency room staff access and use Sarah’s mental health records to inform her current treatment, considering the potential benefit to her care?
• Informed consent: Should the healthcare team attempt to contact Sarah’s mental health providers or seek consent from Sarah herself before using her mental health records in her treatment?
• Legal and ethical obligations: How do the healthcare providers balance their legal obligations under HIPAA with their ethical duty to provide the best care possible to the patient? Answers must examine autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice.
• Long-term consequences: Consider the potential long-term consequences of sharing or not sharing mental health records. How might this decision impact Sarah’s trust in the healthcare system, her willingness to seek future care, and the overall effectiveness of the HIE?

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 1: Explain how ethical theories and principles influence healthcare organizational management practice.
• Discuss ethical obligations, specifically autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice.
• Discuss the potential long-term consequences of sharing or not sharing mental health records.
• Competency 2: Describe how external forces and internal organizational factors influence ethical healthcare management practices.
• Discuss if the emergency room staff should access and use Sarah’s mental health records to inform her current treatment, considering the potential benefit to her care.
• Discuss if the healthcare team should attempt to contact Sarah’s mental health providers or seek consent from Sarah herself before using her mental health records in her treatment.
• Competency 4: Communicate ideas effectively.
• Convey purpose, in an appropriate tone and style, and adhere to organizational, professional, and scholarly writing standards.