What Can Policy Accomplish In Health Communication?

What Can Policy Accomplish In Health Communication - Inter-professional Use of Electronic Communication
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Inter-professional Use of Electronic Communication
Communication process within the health sector has drastically improved after adopting electronic means of communication. Patients can access health information easily while health care providers can also access reference materials and patients data online (Vedder et al., 2014). Security and information privacy are two contentious issues that have resulted in policies like the HIPAA. The privacy regulation under the HIPPAA defines how health care providers can use and protect patient’s health records has generated mixed outcomes (Vedder et al., 2014). The basic requirement of HIPPAA is getting the patient's consent before using personal health information. However, there are several incidences where health care providers have violated the HIPPAA eroding the public confidence in the effectiveness of such policies (Street, Gold & Manning, 2013).
Health care providers share patient information on electronic services like e-mail; they provide personal health information on patients that can be compromised if the systems are not protected. Email sent to patients while at work can be accessed by another employee who could look over patients’ mails. Additionally, many people are not aware that any email sent or received at work, legally belongs to the company policies (Street, Gold & Manning, 2013).
Clinical consultation services through email have generated mixed reactions. Health regulators are concerned about the misuse of such platform by certain practitioners who diagnose and prescribe harmful treatment to unknown patients. Such online platforms benefit physicians more than patients. Even though online consultations save time and money, physicians are more concerned with revenue than protecting patient’s information. Electronic services like emails have the potential to influence communication between patient and health care providers profoundly. However, application of electronic services in clinical settings has been erratic policies (Stre...