NURS440 Full Course Papers Week 7 Discussion

DQ1 Do you feel that nurses believe that there are ethical concerns related to nursing informatics?

DQ2 Discuss how the use of health information (HI) technology has influenced your current nursing practice. Give examples.

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Ethical concerns related to nursing informatics

Introduction

Nurses have been using informatics for decades, but recently it has become a focus for many organizations. In fact, nurses are leading the way: They’re already using this technology as part of their daily work and want to make sure that it’s secure and ethical. But how do you know if your company is doing the right thing? Here are some topics we’ve discussed with colleagues and readers on social media:

The use of large amounts of data in nursing informatics raises questions related to privacy, consent, and confidentiality.

Data collection is a big part of nursing informatics, but it’s important to remember that any data you collect must be handled with care. The appropriate use and management of this information will determine whether or not your practice can achieve its goals for improving patient care.

• Privacy: Your patients have the right to know who is collecting their health information, what use they plan on making of it, and how they can opt out if they do not want their data shared with third parties. For example, if you’re using an Internet-based system such as Epic or Cerner (two popular EHR systems), then you must provide patients with clear instructions about how they can obtain access to their own records—and also assure them that any personal information collected will be kept private until needed by your clinic staff members who need additional context when providing care recommendations based on past experiences with similar cases seen at other facilities run by different providers who may have access only via password-protected portals where users cannot easily change settings without assistance from someone else within those organizations’ walls.* Security: Protecting patient privacy requires careful planning and implementation so no unauthorized users gain access through weak passwords shared between multiple users across multiple locations

How are companies getting this data?

How are companies getting this data?

Through the use of cookies, tracking software, and targeted advertising. Companies can also share your personal information with trusted partners in order to better understand how our customers engage with our sites and services.

The companies want to sell it.

The companies want to sell it.

There is a lot of money to be made in selling data, and the companies who have access to your information want you to know that they will use it for good. They may even say that they don’t sell anything back at all, but trust me—they’re just trying to make you feel comfortable by telling you what they’re going to do with your personal information before asking for permission. In reality, though, these organizations are in business because they know how valuable the information can be when combined with other sets of data from other people or companies (like Target).

I’m not saying this is bad: I think it’s great that businesses want my data so badly! But if we don’t keep an eye on things here at home and abroad…well…we could end up losing control over our own lives altogether!

Who’s going to benefit?

The companies that collect and sell the data are going to benefit most.

• The healthcare providers who use the data will also see some benefits, but they’re not as high-profile as those of the companies.

• Patients who receive care using this technology will also be helped by its availability, because it provides them with more information about their own health than ever before.

Who is ultimately responsible for privacy and security?

The responsibility for privacy and security is distributed among the following entities:

• The company that collects the data.

• The company that analyzes the data.

• The healthcare system or hospital that uses the data.

For example, if you’re a nurse in charge of collecting blood pressure readings from patients on an electronic monitor, you may be responsible for ensuring their privacy and security as well as ensuring that no one else has access to them (e.g., not sharing with another nurse).

These concerns are important and will need to be addressed before more healthcare systems move toward using large amounts of data for analysis.

These concerns are important and will need to be addressed before more healthcare systems move toward using large amounts of data for analysis.

Privacy, consent, and confidentiality are three core ethical principles of nursing informatics that must be respected by organizations collecting patient information. Companies must be transparent about how they collect data; they should also clarify the purpose of their collection methodologies so that all stakeholders understand how their information is being used. In addition, companies should make sure that patients have an opportunity to opt out of certain types of tracking (for example by blocking Google Analytics). Additionally, companies must ensure that individuals who participate in research activities receive proper informed consent prior to enrolling them into a study or undergoing any procedure involving human subjects—even if those individuals are not directly involved with nursing informatics itself!

Conclusion

It is clear that there are ethical concerns about the use of large amounts of data in nursing informatics. It will be important for nurses and healthcare systems to address these issues before moving forward with this type of system.