Internet communication in healthcare: patient privacy and ethical implications

Healthcare and Patient Information Scenario Summary

Impact of using the Internet to Communicate Consumer Information

Of late, Internet utilization in health care settings has generated substantial interest. Though concerns regarding such issues as web-based communication and information quality and privacy remain, electronic technologies of the highest possible standard of quality guarantee an effective means for information dissemination, communication enhancement, and facilitation of health care improvements. Utilizing the Internet for improving communication between patients and their physicians can likely bring about improved medical care effectiveness and decreased costs. Effective provider-patient electronic communication can even possibly reduce the necessity for visits to the physician's clinic, in certain circumstances, as well as spending. However, increased electronic communication can potentially increase physicians' workloads without generating any improvements in health, or could even bring about a decline in effectiveness of patient care. A grasp of expanded communication's impacts is gaining increasing importance, in view of heightened efforts supporting increased adoption of electronic communication, facilitated by changes to policy, such as the inclusion of codes for enabling electronic communication compensation (Baker, Rideout, Gertler, & Raube, 2005).

Ethical Implications of Clinical Efficiency Research with Monitoring and Tracking Data

Ethical concerns surface when the location of individuals equipped with a receiver gets transmitted to a second party. Several ethical issues develop, owing to the rapid implementation of GPS (Global Positioning System) technologies in modern society. The Pocket Macquarie Dictionary defines the term 'ethics' as the system of morals employed for judging the actions of people. 'Morals' are defined as: concerned with or pertaining to the difference between wrong and right, or proper conduct. There are no ethical issues linked with employing GPS as a mere device for assistance with navigation; however, when data pertaining to location of an individual is communicated to some other location, several issues surface. The issue of privacy is possibly the most critical of ethical issues. Already, technology that may be utilized for the purpose of keeping track of others' movements is available in markets. Such products disrespect people's privacy. They are currently imposed upon children and patients by their caregivers, parents, or any other individual with immediate authority. The question of what will occur if such devices are mandated in society must be raised. Legal aspects associated with GPS monitoring and tracking are also a global concern. Laws are already in place to restrict monitoring of this sort (Mcnamee, 2005).