Question

According to your text, the term ePatient has been a term used to describe patients who are active in their healthcare. In today’s world, epatients have electronic resources which assist them in taking an active role in their health and wellbeing. ePatients are typically engages and develop a collaborative relationship with their healthcare providers. You will discuss the following concepts:

1. What ethical concerns do you have about the sharing of health data online?
2. Discuss reasons why clinicians may be reluctant to change their current practice to accommodate the principles of participatory medicine.
3. Defend or refute the following: Patients should have real-time access to all information in their health records, including narrative notes.

Answer 1

Ethical concerns:

• concerns have been raised about the accuracy and reliability of data entered into the electronic record.
• Inaccurate representation of the patient's current condition and treatment occurs due to improper use of options such as "cut" and "paste".This practice increases the risk for patients and liability for clinicians and organizations.
• Another feature that can cause a problem in integrity data is the drop-down menu and disposition of relevant information in the trash. Such menus limit the choices available to the clinician who in a hurry may choose the wrong one leading to major errors.
• Loss or destruction of data occurs during data transfer, This raises concerns about the accuracy of the database as patients care decisions are based on them.

Reasons why clinicians are reluctant to change their practice:

• Reduced staffing costs
• Larger patient pool
• competitive differentiator
• Making a lot of money through this medium

Yes, patients should have real-time access to all the information in their health records, including narrative notes because,

The hospitals and health plans are increasingly using the huge amount of medical data they collect for research without patients' permission and that's an issue of privacy.

To avoid errors that occur in the absence of the patient, it is always better to access information in their health records including narrative notes.