Confidentiality of Health Information - Essay Example

When should the computerized medical database be online to the computer terminal The medical database should be online to computers when authorized computer programs for the data are used. Anyone outside the facility should not have online access to the database of medical records. When the computer service bureau destroys or erases records, should the erasure be verified by the bureau to the physician There should be no mixing of a physician's computerized patient records with those of other computer service bureau clients?

In addition, procedures should be developed to protect against the inadvertent mixing of individual reports or segments thereof. Should individuals and organizations with access to the databases be identified to the patient Dissemination of confidential data is limited to only individuals or organizations with real use for the data. Only the necessary data should be released. Patient identity should be removed where appropriate. The release of confidential information from the database should be only for the specific purpose for which it is to be used and limited to a specified time frame.

Everyone involved should be advised that authorized release of data to them does not authorize them to release the data to anyone else or to use it in any other way than that specified.Does the AMA ethics opinion mention encryption as a technique for security The ethics opinion suggests access to databases should be controlled through passwords, encryption, and user identification.What does the ethics opinion say about disclosure by recipients of authorized data to third parties The ethics opinion says security should prevent unauthorized access to patient records.

Procedures should be established to record any event of unauthorized disclosure of medical data. Former employees should have no access to the data.ConclusionWe answered a series of questions regarding medical confidentiality. We investigated the topic of confidentiality as documented by the American Medical Association. The suggested measures are designed to protect patient confidentiality.