Health Care and Nursing Information Systems Research Paper

Introduction

The advent of advanced communication technology platforms such as smartphones and social media sites has made global communication fast and effective. Seamless flow and exchange of information has been quite fundamental in the growth of business, consumer insight about various products available in the market etc. Generally the innovations in communication technology have had a serious impact on every sector of the economy including healthcare, manufacturing, sales, government etc. Close to 74% of the people who access and use the internet and 80% of the people who use social media sites actually use the platforms to research about medical information, news, hospitals, and doctors (HCP, 2018). The social media is a powerful communication tool on general healthcare. It is impactful in the creation of professional networks and in the sharing of experiences. This said though giving and sharing excessive information through social media platforms may cause devastating consequences on employees and healthcare organizations where information specific to a patient is shared (HCP, 2018).

This research paper analyzes a scenario based on a likely ending and evaluates the HIPAA, Legal, and Regulatory framework on the use of social media and cellphones. The objective of this analysis is to understand whether there were any violations and if so what consequences the nurses in question would suffer due to violations. Through the study of this scenario it will be discovered that both nurses violated patient privacy by taking his pictures and personal details and using the social media and the cellphone to share the information.

Narrative outline

Introduction 1

Narrative outline 1

HIPAA, Legal, and Regulatory Discussion 1

Social media and HIPAA 2

Scenario 3 3

Advantages and Disadvantages of social medial and smartphones in healthcare 3

Advantages 3

Disadvantages 3

Conclusion and Reflections 4

References 4

HIPAA, Legal, and Regulatory Discussion

Professional blogs and social networks have 800 million active users at any given time. It comes as no surprise that at some points nurses would be tempted to violate the HIPAA regulations hence causing major concerns in the medical practice (HCP, 2018). With better employee education concerning the detrimental consequences of mistakes that could occur with medical blogs and social media, it would be possible to alleviate rampant HIPAA violations. Research findings by Denecke et al. (2015) point to the fact that most issues concerning application of social media involve privacy and confidence which must be preserved carefully. The relationship between the physician and the patient can suffer consequences from information gained on either end because private consumer and healthcare provider information can be accessed through internet platforms. Physicians must safeguard and separate between their professional and private selves (Denecke et al., 2015). Patient anonymity while citing any internet content during any research study must be upheld.

The exploitation of social medical media in the application of healthcare must be carefully reflected upon (Denecke et al., 2015). The responsibilities and roles played by the social media platform must be unambiguous. The preservation of confidentiality and privacy, according to Denecke…

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…the severity of those violations (Techadvisory.org, 2018). This goes to show that the nurses in the scenario were either unschooled on HIPAA regulations or perhaps thought that their violations would go unquestioned.

Advantages and Disadvantages of social medial and smartphones in healthcare

Advantages

1. Building of strong professional networks and connections HCP. (2018)

2. Getting patients involved in their personal wellbeing and health (HIPAA Journal, 2018)

Disadvantages

1. HIPAA violations (HIPAA Journal, 2018)

2. Medical errors due to divided attention as evidenced in the scenario (George, Rovniak & Kraschnewski, 2013)

The appropriate and ethical use of technology as described by HIPAA Journal (2018) must entail disciplined restraint from the inclusion of PHI on any internet platform without written consent from the patient (Hosek et al., 2013). Patient safety and privacy is at the heart of healthcare guidelines (Scripps, 2018). The patient is always protected from unauthorized sharing of their private information.

Conclusion and Reflections

The social media and cellphones can be embraced correctly to help enhance healthcare. There are numerous benefits of new communication technologies including enhanced delivery of healthcare services and quick diagnosis of healthcare issues. This said though the same social platforms that are easy and quick in sharing information can occasion violation of patient privacy if PHI is leaked as evidenced in the scenario. It is important, non-negotiable and fundamental that healthcare professionals get profound training on HIPAA rules regarding use of social media and cellphones in healthcare. Employees must be clearly taught on the acceptable…