Compliance plans are used to find, correct, and prevent fraud and abuse in medical care facilities. Compliance plans correlate to different medical records by helping prevent mistreatment of a patient’s sensitive personal information. Compliance plans also help prevent fraud and abuse by a medical care facility’s staff. It is important for every member of the medical staff to properly follow the facility’s compliance plan to prevent civil or criminal litigation. If a facility fails to comply with the compliance plan they could face lawsuits from patient’s or fines from government agencies.
This paper will discuss confidentiality, confidentiality breach implications, ethical principles, alternatives and ethical committee applications to an ethical dilemma. Implications When There is a Breach of Confidentiality The promotion of a trusting and working relationship between the healthcare provider and patient is an obvious reason to maintain confidentiality in healthcare. Releasing personal information to a third party without prior consent of the client is known as a breach of confidentiality and also has legal ramifications. An example would be an adolescent who is encouraged to participate in primary health care prevention. Many teens face depression and may have sexual related issues, but the challenge for them to get adequate and necessary treatment can be an issue.
If the consent is not given by a patient the practice, physician, or the healthcare worker can be held liable in a lawsuit. It is also important to show empathy and compassion to a patient to make them feel that they are welcomed. A healthcare worker should also know when to draw the line with a patient to avoid any kind of harassment issues or to make the patient feel uncomfortable. In any healthcare facility a patient’s need for care should be the main priority, and the healthcare worker should make sure that the priority is met. It has also been shown in the Medical Law and Ethics course that it is a must that all healthcare workers know and understand the legal
1.1 Identify the legislation that relates to the recording,storage & sharing of information in health & social care The Data Protection Act 1998 This outlines the law of how to record, store & share information on individuals that we care for. Anyone holding personal data is legally obliged to comply with this act. 1.2 Explain why it is important to have secure systems for recording & storing information in a health & social care setting It is important to have secure systems for recording & storing information on individuals because it will hold confidential information, e.g. individuals name, address,date of birth, medical condition. etc.
Patient confidentiality includes any information such as test results, treatments, diagnoses, and personal information like name, age, and SS#s. These are private details regarding an individual’s life and handling of the private information is a delicate process that requires proper handling. Health care professionals are responsible for handling information with the best interest of the patient. Administrators help keep order and are gatekeepers of the process. Current Issues Situations that arise in healthcare settings include the mishandling of personal information.
For example, side effects of appropriately prescribed and administered chemotherapy are an example of adverse events not caused by error (Hoy, 2006). Medical errors should be disclosed to patients for a number of reasons. Because of their fiduciary relationship with patients, physicians have an ethical responsibility to disclose errors to them. To withhold this information undermines the public trust in medicine and damages the therapeutic relationship between physician and patient. In fact, patients may be caused additional, avoidable harm by failure to disclose because they lack information that would allow them to receive appropriate treatment should further complications arise (Hoy, 2006).
That one receptionist can change the whole mood of the patient, which continuing on into the visit with the physician. This can make it hard for the physician to treat the patient because the patient may feel closed off now or less receptive to advice from the physician. So I would find interdependence very important knowledge to have in any health care field. Sensitivity is something that is necessary to have when dealing with others. In the health care field one needs to be aware of others feelings
Explain the meaning of the term confidentiality Confidentiality refers to the need to handle personal and private information in ways that are appropriate, safe and professional and meet legal requirements. There are three main reasons why confidentiality is an important issue in a health and social care setting. Trust The relationships you build with service users and their families are central to your care role. If you share their personal information with others who have no need or right to know you risk breaking their trust in you. Individuals also need to know there are secure systems and procedures operating in the care setting to protect confidential information.
This would be difficult without informing the parents. The patient’s parents must be informed because the patient is at an age where she in not capable of making her own medical decisions. The committee may have been called in to advise the nurse and physician involved as to what steps they should take to inform the parents. Patient confidentiality is vital to maintain patient trust. When a nurse breaches this trust patient outcomes can be jeopardized.
The informed consent presents the treatment information in an understandable manner in an effort to avoid any misunderstandings leading to a possible delay in care. A lack of understanding opens the door to further communication between the physician and the patient or their appointed surrogate. If the patient has not appointed a surrogate, health care professionals cannot treat a patient against their will unless the courts have appointed a health care surrogate. However, when the wishes of a patient conflict with the decision of their surrogate, the health care provider should revert to their institution’s policy or court intervention. When