Privacy and Confidentiality of Client Health Information Research Paper

Privacy and Confidentiality of Client Health Information - Research Paper Example ?†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..8 Privacy and Confidentiality of Client Health Information 1.0 Introduction Health information managers have the professional duty to facilitate access and utilization of information for the benefit of the client. However, this should be done while protecting the privacy and confidentiality of client information. It is therefore important to emphasize that health information manager’s role is to act as data steward. In the current world of expanding and sophisticated technology there is need to also advance privacy and confidentiality policies and procedures in regards to information access. A good example of vulnerable client information is where data is mined from different databases that have different information about the client according to Kolodner, Cohn and Friedman (2008). Safe keeping and use of inf ormation ensures good flow of relevant records to and from different stakeholders which in turn offers an avenue for maximum utility. Stakeholders in this case include the client themselves, doctors, nurses, relatives and friends among others. This paper outlines relevant information regarding privacy and confidentiality of client information. Medical practitioners, be they nurses, doctors or health information managers are obligated both legally and ethically to safeguard a client’s health information from any undue influence or unauthorized parties as stated by Acker et al. (2007). The primary means through which boundaries are maintained, trust created and client-caregiver relationship built is by considering the rights bestowed on the client and respecting them. This client right to privacy stipulates that they should control how their health information is collected, utilized and revealed. It is important to note that even health organizations have limited rights to clie nt’s information more so regarding how it should be disclosed. This lays huge task on health information managers to ensure that such right is not misused. The most common case when this right is utilized is when the medical team shares health information in order to facilitate delivery of health care to the patient. A typical scenario is where a doctor explains the patient’s actual condition and reason for certain medication to nurses attending to a particular patient (Sanbar, 2007). Such sharing cannot be deemed to be bleaching the client’s right to control disclosure as nurses need to be informed so as to efficiently and effectively deliver heath care. The following is the specific information that one needs to know in regards to client information, its confidentiality, access, disclosure and special considerations. 2.0 Confidentiality Conversations form the most easy way by which client’s health information is disseminated. As such it is an easy means through which the same leaks to unauthorized parties. It is therefore paramount for anybody to be aware of their environment before initializing conversations regarding confidential information about a client. This will definitely avoid people from overhearing such information. Contrary to popular belief, withholding just the name is insufficient to uphold confidentiality (Pozgar, 2008). In this technological world the internet acts as an easy avenue through which unwarranted information passes to the