Group+Sneha


 * __Discuss two ethical polocies, which must be implemented regarding the storage of patients medical information. Evaluate your arguments.__**

Patients should be able to view their own data to check its accuracy.Patients should be able to view their own data to check its accuracy. The Policy basically is implemented to allow patients their privacy of data, this is an issue as patients may be unaware of intruders or hackers who have seen or changed private information. Serious implications can occur e.g. a patients medical information had been exploited to various doctors, this therefore allows any of the doctors to change or spread the private information to other people. If the data was to be altered, it may be putting a patients life at stake as a doctor might have a big chance of making a mistake or giving the wrong medication. Furthermore the patient them self should have access to such information, but should only be allowed to view the data and check for any incorrect data. The medical institution should provide their patients with an encryption method in order to view their data safely by using methods such as public and private key security. The patient should be allowed to decide which doctor they would grant access to keep the private key, and the patient themselves should be allowed to have a public key which for example if there was an error in the data, the patient should be allowed to report the error by using his/her public key which then can be read by the doctor by the private key. The doctor can then verify and check if that certain data is incorrect and only change it himself. The doctor who is allowed / qualified to change the certain information should also be granted permission by the patient. In addition to this, to keep the medical data protected, the institution can use username and passwords in order to allow the doctor to modify the data. There are numerous advantages to this policy as it is keeping the patients data very safe and at the same time, the patient can feel that his/her information is kept private as only requested doctors are allowed to view or change the medical data. There is a low risk of inaccuracies as the medical information is being monitored by the patient themselves. However, disadvantages to this policy include the cost of implanting such encryption methods. This may increase the costs of getting a medical check up or other sort of health check. Since the information should be updated regularly e.g. blood pressure etc, the institution has to have a real time system which has to be monitored. This will be costly as the medical firm may have to hire someone to maintain the system. Additionally, the various uses of encryption methods may confuse users, especially users who are not familiar with computers as they require a knowledge of using encryption devices Patient’s medical details should be changed by certified doctors by which the patient has approved. Arr They only view the data of their patients however data might next to be exchanged with other doctors, for example if someone needs the same treatment. Data is more secured, and they can trust their doctor.

Another policy that should be implemented is to allow patients to have choice if they would want their information sold to third parties. This could lead to serious implications such patients personal information being misused or exploited. For example, if patient X has AIDs and this information is leaked to insurance companies, then it could be difficult for the patient to receive insurance claims. Furthermore, if all the information was sold to third parties, patients would prefer to go to doctors which wont sell this information, this could lead to big hospitals(who sell the data) losing patients and therefore having to make redundancy. Overall both policies need to be used in order for accurate and safe data storage and access. (No value to this sentence)(No value to this sentence).

Conclusion

In conclusion; I think that privacy plays an important part when the storage of patients medical information is implemented, I think this because if patients had access to thier own personal information they would feel a lot safer when regarding thier information being kept on databases. For example; when a someone is connected to a hospital for a long time for thier on going operation; they might want to check if thier information is verfied and validated correctly. With this in mind; patients can keep track of what information goes up about them and as well as what is 'wrongly' implemented in the storage system. Hence, this will immidiately keep away any sort of discrimination agaisnt a patient. I think the issue about information being sold to third parties can affect not only the patient, as well as the hospitals. However, I think security plays a bigger role initially providing more benifits to hospitals and patients.