...September 01, 2012 Appling Ethical Frameworks in Practice A conclusive ethical foundation in the healthcare arena is confidentiality. It is referred to the standard of maintaining secure and private from others health care information revealed during a professional consultation. This is an essential legal right of every client and an ethical duty of the medical community (Bourke, 2008). Maintaining confidentiality between the client and healthcare professional translates to a trustworthy relationship, especially with adolescents. This paper will discuss implications to breach confidentiality, ethical principles, alternatives and ethical committee applications to an ethical dilemma. Implications of Breach of Confidentiality To promote trust between the patient and healthcare provider is a good reason to appreciate confidentiality in health management. To release information to a third party without consent of the patient is considered a breach of confidentiality and illegal. For example, adolescents are encouraged to participate in health care prevention. Many are depressed and even sexually active, but the challenge to provide access and receive adequate care is necessary. Confidentiality is the primary reason this juvenile group deter from health care prevention and management (English & Ford, 2007). A breach of confidentiality in juvenile health care has several implications. For boys, there is the risk of severe depression, suicidal thoughts and attempts....
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...process in health care to determining ethical dilemmas and solution to it. The protection of the patient’s confidentiality is the keystone of effective health care. However it is very important to have a balanced approach with the need to use this information with other contexts. Maintaining the confidentiality of the patient’s information is the responsibility of everyone involved in health care. Sometimes many groups have rightful reasons for seeking access to the patient data which includes law and enforcement agencies, medical professionals, policy makers, researchers etc. There are also certain situations where a health care provider has to breach the confidentiality for the best interest to save a young person or to avoid a serious harm. This paper explores the situations which are ok to break the confidentially with the help of the article “Bioethics on NBC’s ER: Betraying Trust of Providing Good Care? Ethical Implications of a Breach of Confidentiality All medical professionals are required to maintain the strict confidentiality of patient’s health care data. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 protect the security and privacy. Breach of confidentiality is unethical or illegal according to Hippocratic oath and American Medical Association’s (AMA) of code of Ethics. According to Purtilo and Doherty (2011, p. 202), “The idea of confidentiality in health care has ancient roots as a basic building block of trust between health professionals and patients...
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...to patients’ rights and responsibilities o Patients’ Responsibilities (slide title) Present a complete medical history Your needs why being attended Follow treatment plan Follow organization’s rules Speaker Notes As a patient you have the responsibility to inform the organization treating you with a complete medical history. This is so that the organization can be aware of what problems might arise while treating you and so that they will know what the best way to treat you is. As a patient you also have the responsibility to tell the organization treating you what your needs are while they are treating you. The patient also has the responsibility to follow the treatment plan set by the organization treating them. The organization has given them this plan so that they will continue to get better. Another responsibility of the patient is to follow the rules of the organization that is treating them. New York- Presbyterian. (2012). Patient Rights and Responsibilities. Retrieved from http://nyp.org/patients/patient-rights.html o Patients’ Rights (slide title) Consent Right to Treatment Advance Medical Directives Privacy and Confidentiality Speaker Notes There are certain rights all patients have at both a federal and state level. The right to consent; “Consent, particularly informed consent, is the cornerstone of patients’ rights. Consent is based on the inviolability of one’s person. It means that doctors do not have the right to touch or treat...
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...Confidentiality in the Classroom RD Grand Canyon University: EDU 536 December 21, 2011 U.S. Education – Current and Future Trends Confidentiality is a hot topic – in the classroom, in business and in everyday life. Guarding personal information prior to the onslaught of identity theft was important but not to the extent that it is today. In today’s classroom protecting confidential information is a 3-fold process – protecting the student’s records, protecting personally identifiable information from the student’s record and allowing parent’s access to their child’s information. There are federal and state laws that govern confidentiality and how schools can and cannot utilize that information as outlined under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA, a federal law, applies to educational agencies or institutions that receive federal funds and protects the privacy of student educational records and assures parents the right to access those records. FERPA also allows authorized educational personnel the right to access and review student records without prior parental consent and in situations where conduct “poses a significant risk to the safety or well-being of a student, other students, or other members of the school community” allows the district to release information from a discipline record without consent to employees who have a legitimate educational interest in a student’s behavior. In Confidentiality issues: parental rights each...
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...nurse encounters with different types of patients, several types of families and varied situations. Every patient has certain rights and a nurse has to respect them in both legal and ethical aspects. Confidentiality is important to create confidence between nurses and patients. Without promising privacy to their matters, patients will be hesitant to share important information to health care professionals which may be necessary for their care. Respecting patient’s confidentiality is a legal requirement and also a professional, ethical and legal duty. By law, breaching confidentiality may end in unlawful condemnation and punishments The moral consequence when breaking confidentiality is loss of client, loss of reputation, loss of revenue, and breaking of moral, lawful and moral obligations. A credulous bond between nurses and patients will improve patient satisfaction and will help patient to disclose even the most sensitive information which will help in their treatment and care. This will also improve adherence to medical management plans in almost all age groups and in all varied situations. Patients have the right to anticipate privacy of their medical records and all data and information related to their care and doctors and nurses have a legal obligation to break confidentiality when it is truly and ethically necessary. Conserving confidentiality in all situations is not a definite obligation for nurses. In some circumstances, other...
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...diverts narcotics to reduce anxiety and stress in her job. She signed out medication to patients that had not requested it and she substituted saline for drugs in syringes. When her actions were discovered she was confronted by her own administrator and the administrator of the unit she was assigned too. The nurse confessed to her behavior and asked for help, which was granted with a leave of absence and rehabilitation. The administrative issue at hand is whether the administrators should disclose confidential information concerning an employee to safeguard the patients and promote competent nursing care (Badzek, Mitchell, Marra, & Bower, 1998). The Impact If confidentiality is not maintained the nurses dignity and respect for person could be compromised and her inability to maintain privacy will deny her right to expression of autonomy. Revealing information about this nurse could harm her in such a ways as embarrassment, discrimination, physical or emotional harm, ridicule, loss of roles and relationships, and even economic harm...
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...Running head: CONFIDENTIALITY Confidentiality Tim Arney Grand Canyon University NRS 437v Michelle Silvers July 21, 2012 Confidentiality Patient confidentiality and the loss of a patient’s trust as related to a television show called ER will be discussed. In this episode, a nurse named Carol Hathaway is in the middle of a teen’s medical issue and her parents. When an underage girl tells Nurse Hathaway about her sexual behavior, there are questions about the loss of confidentiality. How it affects those involved will be discussed. Confidentiality is one of the most basic principles in health care practice, and it is the most long-standing ethical dictum in health care codes of ethics. Confidentiality is the practice of keeping harmful, shameful, or embarrassing patient information within proper bounds. The right to privacy gives legal standing to this ethical principle. (Purtilo & Doherty, 2011, 206) It is the responsibility of nurses and clinicians to be informed of the laws of their state. Knowing and understanding the rights of the adolescents, right to confidentiality is very important. This will help protecting their privacy, and help in knowing what to do in these difficult situations involving adolescents. These issues are weighing very heavy on the shoulders of nurses of whether it is ethical to inform parents or not in these types of situations (Nathanson, 2000). It is not considered a breach of confidentiality if you share secret information...
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...Ethical issues on confidentiality and privacy of patients According to American nursing association article regarding patients medical information’s privacy and confidentiality shows us “Advances in technology, including Computerized Medical Databases, The Internet and Tele-Health, have opened the door to potential, unintentional breaches of private /confidential information of patients, so nurses and other health professionals who regularly work with patients and their confidential medical records should contribute the development of standards ,policies and laws that protect patient privacy and confidentiality of health records .” Due to the fast advancement of technology, it is very hard to protect our privacy in the areas of medical sectors. Many people have access to patient’s medical records including the attending physician, house staff, student, consultant, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, billing staffs and insurance company employees. Although computerized medical records have vital roles to improve the access to medical information efficiently, they allow more serious breaches of confidentiality. For example, confidentiality can be violated at any computer station, and fax and e-mail also present opportunities for confidentiality to be broken. I think in my opinion, keeping medical information confidentially shows respect for patents that except physician to maintain confidentiality, and it plays a vital role in improving employees ethics at work. Furthermore,...
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...The essay will define confidentiality its importance to nurses as a profession and the Nursing and Midwifery Code of Professional Conduct. It will further look at possible dilemmas that could arise in course of practice between the nurse colleagues and the clients. Examples will be based on my clinical placement 1 at Blackfriars Work Centre. Confidentiality is keeping secret, the shared information depending on the situation arising. Dimond (2002) define confidentiality as one of the values of good practise that is concerned with protecting the private information obtained about the patient and client during the period of professional practice. Importantly all nurses including midwives have legal and professional responsibilities to respect the rights of patients and clients and treat them equally. NMC (2002) states that as a registered nurse, midwife or health visitor, you must protect confidential information. Clause 10 UKCC (1992) further states that health professionals should avoid from divulging such information without the client’s consent or a nominated person advocating on his behalf unless the disclosure is required by court order, in the public health interest and in the best interest of the patient. In addition, confidentiality as part of the social, ethical and moral basis of working in care setting is further explained in the NMC (2002) clause 5.1-5.4. In clinical setting, preserving confidentiality is view as the key to establish trust, promote good relationship...
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...The doctor-patient relationship is an important connection. Doctor-patient confidentiality is based on the notion that a person shouldn’t be worried about seeking medical treatment for fear that his or her condition will be disclosed to others. There are some patient problems that doctor should keep in secret and not tell the third person about the problems. There is an example, if a teenager tell a doctor “I am really depressed and I’ve been thinking of killing myself”(“Teenage confidentiality: A young person’s right to privacy”).The doctor can’t tell the information, because the doctor has got this kid the proper help. The teenager’s concerns about confidentiality can be a major barrier to obtaining health care. The contraception teens have a right to confidentiality when it comes to contraception. Also, it is mutually understood that any information the young patient shares with the physician remains in strict confidence unless in the doctor’s judgment. The teen is exhibiting problems or behavior that can be interpreted as dangerous, if the doctor’s duty to inform the parents. The doctor have a duty to warn individuals who are threatened by their patients with bodily harm. Severe mental health issues, severe emotions and mental health problems. The doctor suspects that these issues may stem from major problems within the home. Those are the problems the doctor should keep in secret and the keep patient’s proper. There are some doctor problems that what doctor thinks...
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...Kevin 1. The ethical standard or principle, legislation and provide reference/s Australian Counselling Association - Code of Ethics and Practice 3.4 Confidentiality (a) Confidentiality is a means 3.6 Exceptional Circumstances (a) Exceptional circumstances may arise which give the counsellor goof grounds for believing that serious harm may occur to the client or to other people. In such circumstance the client’s consent to change in the agreement about confidentiality should be sought whenever possible unless there are also goof grounds for believing the client is no longer willing or able to take responsibility for his actions. Normally, the decision to break confidentiality should be discussed with the client and should be mad eonly after consultation with the counselling supervisor or if he/she not available, an experienced counsellor. (b) Any disclosure of confidential information should be restricted to relevant information, conveyed only to appropriate people and for appropriate reasons likely to alleviate the exceptional circumstances. The ethical considerations include achieving a balance between acting in the best interests of the client and the counsellor’s responsibilities under the law and to the wider community. (c) While counsellors hold different views about grounds for breaking confidentiality, such as potential self-harm, suicide, and harm to others they must also consider those put forward in this Code, as they too should imbue their practice. These...
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...Date: July 12, 2014 According to American Nursing Association code of ethics, provision 3,”confidentiality is associated with the right to privacy; the nurse has a duty to maintain confidentiality of all patient information. The patient's well being could be jeopardized and the fundamental trust between patient and nurse destroyed by unnecessary access to data or by the inappropriate disclosure of identifiable patient information. The rights, well being, and safety of the individual patient should be the primary factors in arriving at any professional judgment concerning the disposition of confidential information received from or about the patient, whether oral, written or electronic. The standard of nursing practice and the nurse's responsibility to provide quality care require that relevant data be shared with those members of the health care team who have a need to know. Only information pertinent to a patient's treatment and welfare is disclosed, and only to those directly involved with the patient's care. Duties of confidentiality, however, are not absolute and may need to be modified in order to protect the patient, other innocent parties, and in circumstances of mandatory disclosure for public health reasons” (www.nursingworld.org). This paper will discuss an ethical dilemma which a nurse encountered and tested her ethical principles regarding break of confidentiality. If the patients' private matters are disclosed to a party who is not directly involved in the...
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...CHAPTER ONE Background to the Study In the rapidly changing system of health care, many different factors have affected and changed the perception about how health care is practiced today. The rights of patient are also affected. Patient rights have now become the center of attention in practice of medicine. Today, concerns about patients’ choice and the respect for their preferences, values and the access to medical care are getting more complex. The patients’ expectations are becoming higher and now they always want everything best (Rafique & Bhatti, 2014). Nurses are subject to numerous ethical and legal duties in their professional role, including the imperative to maintain patients’ privacy and confidentiality. Beginning in 1893, nurses take the Nightingale Pledge “I promise to do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling” (Gretter, 2012). The duty continues today, with hospital policies, state regulations, and federal law aimed at protecting patients’ confidentiality. Critical care providers are often privy to confidential information in the course of clinical practice. The dilemma may arise when confidential information is requested by family members or friends of the patient. Although at times it seems that regulations and laws are so stringent that any disclosure of health care information is forbidden...
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...in Practice Patient confidentiality is part of the Nursing Code of Ethics and it is a nurses’ duty to uphold confidentiality of patient information (American Nurses Association, 2012). However, there are certain situations in which a confidentiality breach is acceptable, such as when a patient voices harm to themselves or others and certain sexually transmitted diseases STDs). The following is a breakdown of the ethical implications of a breach of confidentiality, the ethical theory, the alternatives to breaching confidentiality using the framework of ethical decision making and the role of the ethics committees. Ethical Implications of a Breach of Confidentiality A confidentiality breach is when patient information is disclosed to a party that is not a direct part of the patients’ healthcare team without obtaining the appropriate patient consent (American Medical Association, 2012). It is important for the nurse to maintain confidentiality to gain the patients trust, except in situations that are required by law to be reported. When confidentiality is breached many ethical implications arise. Some of these implications are losing a patients’ trust and disclosing information to parties that is not required by law, which could cause harm to the patient. In the article “Bioethics on NBC’s ER: Betraying Trust or Providing Good Care? When is it OK to Break Confidentiality?” the nurse did the right thing by breaking patient confidentiality in revealing to the parents...
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...Confidentiality, Privacy, and Security Confidentiality, Privacy, and Security have a lot in common as they pertain to today's information technology in healthcare. However, they also have their own different meanings and significant roles in their functions in data maintenance and management. Confidentiality Confidentiality is one of the core duties in medical practice that requires healthcare providers to keep patient's personal health information private unless the patient provides consent to release the information. Confidentiality is important because patient's routinely share their personal information with healthcare providers and if the patient's confidentiality of their information is not protected then trust in the physician would diminish. Patients would also be less likely to share sensitive information, which could negatively impact their care. Privacy Privacy is the individual's right to keep his or her data to themselves and often it often applies to their rights as consumers to have their information safeguarded from other parties that involves the protection of vulnerable data, as well as their personal data from being freely distributed over the internet or sold to third parties. Privacy is vitally important when maintaining medical information because just like confidentiality, patients may not seek treatment or may withhold important information about their health out of concern for their privacy. When patients know that they can truly trust their...
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