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Administrative Ethics

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Administrative Ethics Paper
Dwyn Francis
HCS/335
July 28, 2014
Melissa Green

Administrative Ethics Paper
In the administrative health care setting there is a continuous presence of ethical issues embedded in everyday activities. The health care administrator has responsibilities to self, to the organization, to the clientele served by the organization, and to the employees who provide services at the organization. With the growth of information systems one ethical concern that continually presents itself to the administrator is confidentiality of information. Confidential information refers to facts that are private, secret, or privileged. Confidential information for the administrator in the health care setting extends beyond a patients’ medical information to broader information systems that encompass the organization as a business and a workplace. Managing confidential information within the health care system requires ethical awareness, knowledge, and decision-making skill. In order to avoid a “cynical view” by administrators of the importance of ethically managing confidential information, increased education and discussion of these issues need to take place. Hopefully, through discussion, retrospective analysis, and ethics education, innovative ways to effectively answer difficult questions concerning confidentiality will emerge.
Under what circumstances confidential information should be disseminated is an issue that most administrators encounter sometime in their administrative practice. Ethical as well as legal questions often surround the release of confidential information. Administrators are duty bound to respect the confidentiality of information they acquire, maintain, and use in their role as an agent of the organization. Confidential information may include, but is not limited to employees’ personal information and compensation records.

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