Question

CASE 101: Social Networks and Medicine

Kevin D. Zeiler The Riverbend Hospital, a hospital located in a rural area of the state, recently purchased laptops for all employees of the hospital system, as well as emergency responders. The goal of the purchase was to streamline medical treatment and information in real time so that patients could receive more timely care. The program has been in place for just over three months with most of the employees feeling that the new system has been a real time-saver. However, a recent leak of patient information has put the program in jeopardy.

Because the laptops are provided with Internet access, many of the hospital’s employees have been using them for personal web browsing, social network updating, etc. Ambulance crews have been uploading photos from crash sites, shootings, etc., so that physicians and nurses can be made aware of the mechanism of injury and such. However, an employee in the system recently posted some of those photos to a social network site that many members of the local community share, and it has brought to light an abusive relationship that is taking place in the small community. The photos clearly show the patient and most, if not all, citizens in the small community know her. Furthermore, other providers have started to post comments about her treatment, follow-up care, and other medical conditions. The female patient is currently seeking legal advice and the future of the hospital’s new computer system has been compromised.

USE INFORMATION FROM CASE TO DO A WRITE UP (PLEASE INCLUDE DETAILED EXPLANATION AND COMPLETE ALL 6 STEPS)

1 - Write a background statement

2- What are the major problems and secondary issues?

3- Your Role

4- Organizational Strengths and Weaknesses

5- Alternatives and Recommended Solution

6- Evaluation

THEIR IS AN EXAMPLE BELOW OF HOW THIS SHOULD LOOK!!!!

Case Write-Up

Background Statement

A Wiccan patient who visited a nondenominational community hospital was discussing her religious beliefs with her primary care nurse, Penny Baker, when suddenly another nurse, Ruth Goose, walked into the conversation and rudely stated, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch amongst you.” The Wiccan nurse felt offended and complained that she was discriminated in the hospital because of her religious beliefs.

Major Problems and Secondary Issues

The major problem is that the two nurses, Penny Baker and Ruth Goose, made the patient feel unwelcomed in the nondenominational community hospital because of her Wiccan religious beliefs. The secondary issues that the nondenominational community hospital may face is that the Wiccan patient is threatening to go to the media. This means that there may be news coverage that your hospital engages in religious discrimination. This may make people, especially Wiccans, look down on your medical services.

Your Role

In this case, I am the Vice President of Nursing Services. As stated in the text, it writes, “You are the Vice President of Nursing Services in a nondenominational community hospital, and you receive a complaint from a patient, who is a Wiccan.” The advantages of this role are that I can sit down with Penny and Ruth to let them know that religious discrimination is not to be tolerated while we are caring for the patients. The disadvantages of this role are that I must decide how I am going to discuss this matter with Penny and Ruth because they’re passionate about being against the Wiccan patient. I need to let Penny and Ruth know that our patient’s care matters above everything else, not what religion they practice.

Organizational Strengths and Weaknesses

As the Vice President of Nursing Services, my strengths are that I can hold a training on racial, ethnic, and religious diversity. This training can supplement nurses with the information they need to work in a diverse environment. Nurses need to know that they must treat their patients justly despite their identity. The weaknesses I may face are that the two nurses are very religious themselves. They may not listen to what I have to say about religious discrimination because the two nurses try to justify their act by saying, “She did the right thing. We don’t have to pray with witches. They worship Satan. It’s blasphemy. What’s next? Human sacrifice?”

Alternatives and Recommended Solution

As a solution for this problem, I will make sure to provide all the nurses working in the hospital with diversity training. It is important that I sit down with the nurses and make it clear that discrimination will not be tolerated while they are working in our hospital. I can also offer every patient visiting the hospital with a survey. The patient can fill out the survey to let us know how they felt about their stay. Nurses who’ve been accused of any sort of discrimination, will have to speak with management. We would keep these incidences of discrimination in a file, and it the dilemma does not change, I would have to begin writing up the nurses. Discrimination would not be tolerated while the patient is in the hospital trying to recover from a medical condition. I would also recommend Penny and Ruth write an official letter of apology to the Wiccan patient before she decides to go to the media. Writing the official letter of apology would be my first recommended solution to Penny and Ruth, so that the patient does not feel unwelcomed to our hospital’s services in the future.

Evaluation

If there are enough surveys to prove that our medical treatment is getting better and there are less patients coming from the patients about discrimination, then I would know that the instances of discrimination have stopped. The goal is to aid in the medical recovery of patients. Patients must also feel welcomed to our hospital services despite their identity. By getting fewer, or even better, no discrimination complaints, I would know that my diversity trainings and meetings have worked.

Answer 1

BACKGROUND STATEMENT

In light of the data leak of the patient through the computer system and the further legal actions that are to ensue. The patient's photos, details and treatment updates are being made public unknowingly and the patient is about to move legally to seek the solution

MAJOR PROBLEMS AND SECONDARY ISSUES

The major problem is the leak of information from the computer system , the breach of privacy of the patient and the harm it may do to her personal life and her mental psyche.

The secondary problems are that the patient is seeking legal advice and this may harm the structure of the institution as the staff had been using the system for personal use as well and also. Also, all the good that had been derived out of the ease of tracking of patient details with the help of laptops could no t be derived if the case is to move forward seriously

YOUR ROLE

As the nurse in charge of the patient , I can provide mental support.

The technical side should be dealt with the help of a team , the glitches should be corrected.

The staff should be made understand that the network and the devices should be used solely for the purpose of bettering the patient care and the privacy of patient is of utmost importance

ORGANISATIONAL STRENGTH AND WEAKNESSES

My strengths are that I was the nurse in charge of the patient and could directly talk to and deal with the situation

My weaknesses are my lack of understanding of the technical side and that there are other staffs in wide range using the system which should be tackled and put in check for ensuring safe use of technology and keeping the privacy of patient tight.

ALTERNATIVES AND RECOMMENDED SOLUTIONS

The technical training should be given to all the staff

The importance of privacy of patients should be made the priority of every staff and every one must be made understand how they are held accountable for their actions in terms of patient care and breach of privacy

An official letter of apology should be written to the patient and anything that could be done to alter the problem created in the life of patient should be discussed and a solution should be sought at the earliest

EVALUATION

The patient privacy must be safely dealt and the patients must be surveyed monthly about their view of the privacy and quality of health care they receive from the hospital

The privacy should not be compromised for the quality and the health staff should be surveyed about their take on his and the ideals should be set and reviewed from time to time