Question

The situation.

Healthcare providers need access to patient personal health information wherever patients are present for care. Systems that standardize electronic medical records provide such access, but the risk to privacy that accompanies that access is real, and breaches often make the news. At the Federal level, the HIPAA Privacy Rule protects personal health information gathered by healthcare providers, but most agree that information needs more protection than HIPAA currently affords. Some believe added protection may be found in the forming and keeping of codes of ethics.

A scenario. Mary works in a hospital health information management department, and Maureen, her friend, comes one day to pick up the medical records of a patient who is a client of the lawyer Maureen works for. Maureen, however, has forgotten to bring the client’s signed authorization form, though she assures Mary the form, which she saw the patient sign, is at her office. Since Maureen’s need for the form is urgent and there isn’t enough time to return with the form today, Maureen hopes to take the records and return with the form another day.

Read the iHealthCoalition’s eHealth Code of Ethics, the Summary of the HIPAA Privacy Rule, and with the above scenario in mind, consider the following questions:

In light of what the Code and HIPAA say, how might Mary and Maureen best resolve the problem?

How might a code of ethics provide personal medical information more protection than HIPAA?

In what ways, if any, does HIPAA protect personal medical information where codes of ethics do not?

To support your work, use your course and textbook readings and also use the South University Online Library.

As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.

Your initial posting should be addressed at 150-300 words.

Submit your document to this Discussion Area by the due date assigned.

Be sure to cite your sources using APA format.

Answer 1

As per the goal of the e-health code of ethics is to make confidentialy and with full understanding health information products and services must improve health and no to do harm,provide health information on the internet have trust worthy,it will have high quality content,protect users privacy..
But as per HIPAA ethical considerations it restricts uses and disclosures of individually identifiable protected health information(PHI)by covered entities without patient authorization..so mary can not provide the patient information as per codes of ethics but she can provide inforamtion as per HIPAA rule of covered entities..
AMA code of ethics mension about trust,patient,physician relationship..privacy protections it built the trust and practices within and across professions and institutions..beneficence and the health care profession responsible to protect and promote patients health related and other interests,avoid commitments to protect the confident and prevent harm..It provides the autonomy to respect patient right to whom we can share the information.fidelity legal obligations to disclose information need public health authorities..it states that the patient should be able to make a full disclosure of information..physician will respect the confidential nature of the communication..
    HIPAA's strong commitment to privacy is in keeping with the ethical considerations it restricts uses and disclosures of individually identifiable protected health information(PHI) by covered entities without patient authorization..but allows exceptions to facilitate the delivery of care..HIPAA is often frustrating barrier to coordinate delivery of care and appropriate sharing of information..HIPAA permits sharing information among treating patient without seperate authorizations..freely share information without authorizations limit disclosure to the minimum necessary for intented purposes..Disclosure information permitted to share with closed one..HIPAA is not anti-electronic..so code of ethics provide personal medical information more protection than HIPAA..
   HIPAA safeguards personal health information and allows patients to examine and correct their health cards..The privacy rules excludes from protected health information employment records that a covered entity maintains an employer and other records subject..there is no restrictions on the use or disclosure of de-identified health information-disclosed by covered entities include privacy rule permits and as the individual who is the subject of the information authorities in writing..without individuals authorization covered entity is permitted for the individual for treatment,payment and health care operations,public interest and benefit activities..