Confidential medical information and parties who should have access to Research Paper

Confidential medical information and parties who should have access to medical records - Research Paper Example Electronic health record systems, though identified with advantages of improved efficiencies in care provisions, and recommended by legal provisions, establishes diversified challenges to confidentiality. Specialization among care personnel and the need to transfer patients from one personnel or care department to another is one of the causes of confidentiality challenges because data may be compromised along the chain with difficulty in managing such proliferation (Mermelstein and Wallack 97- 103). An assessment of implementation of electronic health records in health care facilities supports the position that despite the system’s benefits that both care personnel and patients appreciate, cases of information sharing is popular among care personnel. While data systems allowed for physician’s freedom to maintain privacy of patients’ information as their personal notes, most physicians preferred incorporating their patients’ information in medical records ( Beverly et al. 22-25). The issue of confidentiality in health care further goes beyond legal scope because of the profession’s nature and traditions. ... breach is therefore imminent under the current regulatory measures and the threat has possible consequences such as patients’ forfeiture of sensitive health care services for fear of breach of confidentiality (Slive and Cramer 348). Problem statement Significant knowledge exists on the role of health care information systems such as medical records and their consequences on patients’ information. Existing studies further identifies popularity of the emerging information systems despite their weaknesses as tools towards confidentiality breach and ineffectiveness of regulatory measures in ensuring confidentiality. Limited studies have however been conducted on strategies for ensuring confidentiality of medical data. The literature review therefore identifies the need to develop a model for ensuring confidentiality of patients’ information, at care personnel level. Aims The study’s core objective is to develop a psychological model for ensuring confidentialit y of patients’ health information. The following aims explore the objective. 1. To determine patient medical information that should be considered confidential 2. T determine the right people to access the confidential medical information Research questions The proposed study will investigate the following research questions 1. What medical information should be held confidential and why? 2. Who should have access to patients’ confidential information? 3. What are some of ethical issues concerning confidentiality of medical information? Methodology Research method and research design The study proposes quantitative research method with a non-experimental design. Survey techniques will be used in data collection. Sampling Stratified random sampling approach will be used to select research participants.