pros and cons of confidentiality in healthcare

Adolescents should be aware that certain insurance carriers itemize explanation of benefits statements 7. 796. ACOG does not guarantee, warrant, or endorse the products or services of any firm, organization, or person. The network of participating doctors and hospitals. Generally, parents or guardians and adolescents should be informed, both separately and together, that the information each of them shares with the health care provider will be treated as confidential. Adolescent health care, confidentiality . The Importance of Supplemental Disability Insurance. Many associations of health professionals caring for minors, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, recognize the importance of confidentiality in providing health care for adolescents 7 8 9. Retrieved November 15, 2019. During this era of increased socialized medicine, it has come with its pros and cons on the confidentiality, rights, safety, and the security of patients. WebThe Cons Confidentiality and the institution of HIPAA hasnt been all positive. Another problem, however is what to do regarding the patient who has discovered a breach of confidentiality. Obstetriciangynecologists and other health care providers who care for minors should be aware of federal and state laws that affect confidentiality. Elk Grove Village (IL): American Academy of Pediatrics; 2017. It is important to note that the EHR for general health care visits may contain information pertaining to care, such as a social history or sexual behavior history, that was provided under minor consent or mature minor provisions. In as much as it is the right of the patient to keep his or her health information private, it is prudential for the person to consider that this would interfere with his or her health (Ventola, 2014). Disclosing this information would prolong his or her life, but it might also prolong suffering. | Terms and Conditions of Use. The ACOG policies can be found on acog.org. There if an individuals privacy is not protected or guaranteed, people find it hard to give complete and candid information about their health even to their own personal physicians leave alone to the insurer. HMOs often only cover The capacity of an adolescent to consent for health care as a mature minor is influenced by the minors developmental maturity, previous experience with illness, the gravity of the current illness, and the risks of proposed therapy. Standards for health information technology to ensure adolescent privacy. Adolescents also have rights to receive health care independently under legal principles such as mature minor and emancipated minor Box 2. 1. HMOs often only cover Did you know that according to the Social Security Administration, 1 in 4 of todays 20-year-old Americans will become disabled before age 67?1 HealthMarkets can help you find a health plan should a serious condition leave you unable to work. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is a law enacted by US congress in July 30, 2002. When is your health information confidential and when isn't it? There are some problems with paper medical records. 4th ed. But genetic information does have implications for the health of blood relatives. However, there is concern that it may result in important confidentiality breaches for adolescent patients. Any updates to this document can be found on acog.org or by calling the ACOG Resource Center. Most EHRs have the capability for patients to view any combination of appointments, medication lists, allergies, most recent vital signs, laboratory values, health care provider notes, and communication between patient and health care provider. So there are a couple of questions that are up for debate. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that a chaperone be in the room during the physical examination, as well as during diagnostic studies such as transvaginal ultrasonography 11. Chernichovsky, D. (2009). At the initial visit, the obstetriciangynecologist should discuss the following issues with the parent or guardian and the patient: 1) the meaning and importance of confidentiality; 2) the scope of confidentiality protection; and 3) the limitations of confidentiality. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School. The following are examples of how some institutions have provided protection to adolescents; they are not applicable to all institutions or systems: For patients ages 1217-years old, manage or restrict parental or guardian access to provider notes. If protection of adolescent confidentiality is not possible within their electronic system, the information technology support within individual institutions should be employed to restrict parental access per HIPAA compliance. The maintenance of patient confidentiality may be affected by the widespread adoption and integration of electronic health records (EHRs) in clinical care, which may necessitate a closer evaluation of the unique challenge this presents for providers of adolescent health care. This information is designed as an educational resource to aid clinicians in providing obstetric and gynecologic care, and use of this information is voluntary. Available at: English A, Bass L, Boyle AD, Eshragh F. State minor consent laws: a summary . Because online therapy involves communication via computers or mobile devices, it has security issues What is managed Care One form of medical coverage is the managed-care plan. The most obvious benefit of utilizing AI technology is its ability to improve patient experiences. We are a society strangely obsessed both with privacy and obtaining information. 2023 My Superior Paper. It builds trust: Experimenting with a range of behavior is common among adolescents and young adults. Please try reloading page. They are required to keep information about patients health private unless the patient give permission to release his/her health information (De Bord et al, 2013). Patient portals are mechanisms within the EHR system that provide patients with electronic access to their personal health record. Protection of privacy also ensures that the societal values are also protected. WebDisadvantages of Paper Medical Records. *For more information, see Guttmacher Institute. Obstetriciangynecologists should make clear to the patient what limitations, if any, exist in the EHR system. In fact, quite a lot of personal information is not protected at all. J Adolesc Health 2007;40:21826. When doctors share visit notes with patients: a study of patient and doctor perceptions of documentation errors, safety opportunities and the patient-doctor relationship. Obstetriciangynecologists should be aware of how the process of the release of medical records of minors is addressed by their institution. Literature discussing confidentiality and AIDS patients supports the notion that health care professionals (including counselors) have a duty to warn and protect at-risk third parties. Given these parameters, duty to warn cases are not without controversy, and some people believe that they place the physician in the undesirable role of law enforcer, rather than healer. They are of the argument that privacy is in itself objectively valuable, as an important component of human well-being. Although this can be viewed as a good thing because patients do have the right to see their own health data, it also opens doors for security concerns. Storage Isnt Scalable. According to Farnan et al (2013), privacy should always be guaranteed even if there will be no any form of embarrassment or any kind of harm. National Academies Press. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists offers the following recommendations and conclusions: Confidential care for adolescents is important because it encourages access to care and increases discussions about sensitive topics and behaviors that may substantially affect their health and well-being. A Story of Ethics and HIV Disclosure. Identify and protect against reasonably anticipated threats to the security or integrity of the information. The minor can consent to medical, dental, or psychiatric care. During this era of socialized medicine, there are both pros and cons of confidentiality, rights, safety, and the security of the patients. Potential for disclosure of laboratory results, prescriptions, and diagnoses may occur with itemized explanation of benefits statements. WebPros And Cons Of Sarbanes-Oxley Act Of 2002. Annals of internal medicine, 158(8), 620-627. This can actually slow their recovery. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online, 39(4), 571-578. J Adolesc Health 2016;58:13440. If the EHR system does not allow for procedures to maintain adolescent confidentiality, the obstetriciangynecologist or staff should inform the patient that parents or guardians will have access to the records, and the patient should be given the option of referral to a health care provider who is required to provide confidential care. There are many aspects of our lives that are available for anyone to access, and yet most people are either unaware of these possibilities, or unconcerned with this loss of confidentiality. Statutes on the rights of minors to consent to health care services vary by state, and obstetriciangynecologists and other health care providers should be familiar with the regulations that apply to their practice. Only individuals who are legally authorized to have access to patient data for a legally permissible purpose should be given access to patient However, the obstetriciangynecologist should exercise extreme caution when using a personal patient email address to relay medical information because email servers may not be secure 6. Contradictory viewpoints. The bill consists of 11 sections and was created as a reaction to high numbers of fraud and business misbehavior in major US corporations. Chapel Hill (NC): Center for Adolescent Health and the Law; 2010. The problem is that personal information (which is whats at stake with medical confidentiality) is not protected at law in the same way ones home or bodily integrity is protected. WebConfidentiality is one of the main duties of health care providers. Useful sources of information on state laws include the Guttmacher Institute 14 and the Center for Adolescent Health & the Law 23. According to a study from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, under a single-payer system, in which all citizens are guaranteed a right to health care, total public and private health care spending could be lowered by up to $1.8 trillion over the next 10 803. By concealing the information about health, the patient may under cover through the socialized health cover. Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is a law enacted by US congress in July 30, 2002. However, there are some circumstances when it is necessary for the obstetriciangynecologist to share private information with a parent or guardian or others. ACOG Committee Opinion No. Protect against reasonably anticipated, impermissible uses or disclosures. Fidelity-based confidentiality suggests that physicians have an obligation not to disclosure information shared with them in their medical role. p. 82810, for complete requirements.) Top of Page Pros: Salaries might be lower than in other practice settings, but there are often added benefits, including more time off and better retirement options. The most obvious examples of public health concerns outweighing individual rights to confidentiality are from contagious disease cases. Beyond the HIPAA privacy rule: enhancing privacy, improving health through research. New England Journal of Medicine, 361(21), e46. Patients should be informed that there are laws protecting their confidentiality in the health care setting. If a patient declines a chaperone, it should be explained that the chaperone is an integral part of the clinical team whose role includes assisting with the examination and protecting the patient and the physician. There is little to no control over income distribution. Although most The sharing of medical information is one of the most complicated areas, and most patients are not even aware of the extent to which information about their care is shared within a hospital setting. Every patients file needs to be protected as it is stored in the network database. Only a few states have comprehensive confidentiality laws, and many states control disclosure of health information through a combination of statutes addressing everything from particular disease information to autopsy records. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists State confidentiality protections vary widely. Its value also sabotages any effort to solve financing problems. Committee on Practice and Ambulatory Medicine. Review individual cases and provide proxy access for parents of adolescent patients with disabilities when appropriate. At least one court has held that a physician may have a duty to disclose genetic information about a patient to immediate family members. Conclusion Being aware of alternate health care referral centers for free or substantially decreased costs may be of benefit for the adolescent if there is a risk of billing disclosure. If notes automatically submit to EHRs, issues regarding sexuality, gender identity, substance use, mental health, and STIs may be included.

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