Code of Ethics in E-Health Essay

The well-being of the citizen plays an essential role in the welfare and stability of the country. The US government came up with the HIPPA act, to ensure the provision of the health of the citizen. It is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 enacted to ensure the privacy and security of health information. The privacy rules protect certain identifiable health information by creating national standards, and the security rule establishes national standards to protect health information. It also addresses the security concerns from technical and non-technical sources to secure the individuals. The privacy rules ensure that health-related information is disclosed only to the specific and authorized person. It is crucial for the safety of the person because it is protected but available when it is needed for medical use. The privacy rules protect the patients’ rights regarding their health records. It gives the patients right to assess and obtain their medical reports. They can requests for information and corrections if they find any discrepancies. It allows people to plan and manage their health and personal information. The security rule safeguards the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of health information. Privacy and security regarding health information are essential to promote communication between patients and physicians which ultimately ensures the quality of care, enhancing autonomy and preventing harm to the patients. It also protects patients from embarrassment and discrimination. It is efficient because it can provide health reports to all the involved groups with the consent of the patient. The protection of privacy has the social life of the patients. The medical documents do not only have information about certain condition; it has information regarding the person’s financial, mental, physical, and social behavior. And the disclosure so such information can lead to serious consequences and embarrassment or even ostracization. Therefore, the health and medical information of the patients is kept private and secure to ensure their well-being of the patients. In some cases, people might try to steal financial information or personal information to forge documents and gain monetary benefits. Hence the government emphasizes the privacy and security of the patients.

Ethics in Health Care

Healthcare professionals and providers have a responsibility to take care of the patient and their safety. It is the ethical responsibility and the oath that requires the health care professionals to perform their duties with care and dutifully. The patients are vulnerable, and they seek help, but it is impossible for a person to disclose their problems to a careless person. Therefore, doctors and health care professionals must be trustworthy for the people to trust, reveal and share their concerns without fear. Hence it is essential that healthcare professionals are bound by some code of ethics. The healthcare profession is one that is based on trust and ethics because sometimes people have to trust the ethics of the professionals with their lives. Moreover, the professionals are powerful due to which the ethics of no harm helps the patients to go to the healthcare professionals without hesitations. Medical ethics is crucial for ensuring well-being, social responsibility, safety of the patients, the welfare of the patients, and human rights. It also provides that all the professionals comply with the law and regulations of the hospital. Consequently, the professionals and all the involved individuals follow the code of conduct to provide better health care to the patients.

Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate the technology to provide to date and accurate health care system.  The code of ethics of e-health must include the existing professional and personal code of conduct focusing on responsibility, trust, and no harm principles but integrate technology and telecommunication. The computer and internet-based healthcare information and services that people can access when they need it. Moreover, securing the patient’s data and compiling all the medical records of the patients is essential to make it available to all the consultants. But the online safety and privacy system must be optimized to meet the safety needs of many people can try to steal online information. Therefore, the hospitals, as well as the health care providers, must have rigorous ways of safeguarding the data with updated and secure soft wares.