Utilitarianism in the Health Care System - Essay Example

The information includes those secured in individual identifiable health care records and the ones saved in the electronic media (HIPAA, 2012). According to the Act, protecting patients’ information is one way of making sure that patients receive focused care. However, employing the philosophical view of utilitarianism may contribute to the violation of the HIPAA rule that supports the privacy of patients’ information at all circumstances. For example, while employing the concept of utilitarianism, a medical profession may argue that he/she has the right to disclose patients’ information if it maximizes the overall happiness of others.

The health profession may argue that if the information will contribute to the benefit of others who hold a greatest number, it would not be wrong to release the information. However, the Act makes it clear that releasing of patients information is not allowed. Moreover, releasing the information is also unethical and may even cause more harm to the patient’s health. For example, the patient may end-up suffering from stress and depression by knowing that everyone in the society or any other person accessed the information about his/her health condition in unprofessional and respectful manner (Adams, 2011).

The other issue supporting the fact that utilitarianism violates HIPAA prohibiting provision of focused care in the health system is that health professions may fail to address various ethical issues related to patients’ well-being (Pavlish et al., 2011). One of the main issues that health professions are entitled to address while carrying out their obligations is observing ethics. Health professionals tend to encounter various ethical issues that. Utilitarianism in the Health Care System The Act demonstrates a number of issues that health professional ought to address in order to provide the best and recommendable services to all patients.

Employing the concept of utilitarianism poses as one of the greatest hindrances to a proper patient-focused care that is addressed in the HPAA. This paper provides detailed information on how employing the philosophical view of utilitarianism in the health care system hinders the provision of patient-focused care as one of the issues supported by Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Every patient has a right to receive focused care within the health care system. Focused care means that patients have a right to receive proper medication provided a particular health institution.

Focused care also means that patients have a right to privacy of any information that they may provide to the health professionals concerning their problems. Most of the information concerning patient-focused care is all about the relationship between health professionals and patients. For example, patients share personal and intimate details about their condition and they may end up giving embarrassing details about their lifestyles, past medical history and personal habits with health professionals.

The above information indicates that the philosophical view of utilitarianism tends to go against some of the critical issues addressed in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.