Question

I need to research definitions of the terms privacy, confidentiality and security of health information to include in your post.

• As a health care manager, what responsibilities do you have to uphold these for your patients?
• Provide an example to illustrate your role and responsibility of protecting patient information.

Answer 1

The various types of healthcare information with a healthcare provider include -

1. Patient biographic and demographic data for the identification of patient

2. Patient's basic health information like Blood Pressure, Blood group, weight etc.

3. Patient specific health issues and treatment history

4. Payment or billing information related to the patient visits or treatments

Below are the responsibilities of a healthcare manager in upholding privacy, confidentiality and security of patient health information -

1. Storing the health information in the health information system and ensuring the access to the same is restricted to the respective employees/authority.

2. Ensure the information is password protected and only the concerned authority holds the access.

3. Ensure strict information security policies from an IT administration standpoint and restrictions on the access.

4. Avoid unwarranted use of the patient health information through stricter regulations.