Ethical Problem of Patient Privacy and Confidentiality Issues in Health Informatics

Ethical Problem of Patient Privacy and Confidentiality Issues in Health Informatics
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Introduction
Advances in healthcare and technology transform medical information management and accessibility. EHRs, telemedicine, innovative technology, and data analytics have altered patient care by giving healthcare practitioners unparalleled access to vital information and innovative technologies (Keshta & Odeh, 2021). However, the shift to digital platforms has revealed the complex ethical issue of patient privacy and anonymity. Since the Hippocratic Oath, ethical medical practice has prioritized patient privacy and confidentiality. These essential principles allow patients to trust doctors and discuss their most personal health issues. Due to the rapid expansion of health informatics and data sharing, patient data security is becoming more complex. Health informatics, which digitizes health data and advances technology, has added a new dimension to patient privacy. Due to doctor-patient intimacy and paper medical records, patient privacy and confidentiality were challenging to maintain. Interoperability, cybersecurity, data analytics, informed consent, and worldwide data exchange are among the many digital challenges (Choubey & Namdeo, 2015). The rapid rise in health informatics is causing global healthcare data exchange. Health informatics has faced many patient privacy and confidentiality issues. Healthcare professionals and technology experts have developed several solutions. These solutions are extensive and complex. These procedures aim to protect patient data, restrict access to authorized users, and give patients more control over their data (Hathaliya & Tanwar, 2020). This research examines how modern technology-driven health informatics systems and methods protect patient privacy and confidentiality. This study also investigates the elements that make comprehensive solutions to complex situations difficult.
Discussion
Problem Identification
Patient privacy and secrecy protection have been an essential part of the healthcare field for a long time. Ethical principles are very important for building trust between patients and healthcare workers because they make people feel safe when they share their very private and sensitive health information (Lustgarten et al., 2020). With the rise of digital health data and advanced technology in health informatics, protecting patient privacy and confidentiality has become more complicated and raises new ethical questions.
History and Emergence of the Problem
The Hippocratic Oath, an ancient document, stipulated the obligation of physicians to maintain strict confidentiality about their patients’ information (Choubey & Namdeo, 2015). Throughout history, the fundamental nature of this concept has remained consistent, but with adaptations in medical ethics to align with the more intricate landscape of healthcare.
Ethical concerns in healthcare emerged as a problem during the mid-20th century, coinciding with the initial utili...