Code of Ethics – A Closer Look The American Health Information Management Association’s Code of Ethics is more than a list of ethical principles. A portion of it is dedicated to further educating and instructing HIM professionals on the code’s importance, professional values, purpose, and its use. The preamble of the Code of Ethics highlights the importance of protecting patient privacy. This includes all confidential information pertaining to the patient and everything contained in their medical record. Since patients are becoming increasingly worried about losing their privacy, it also becomes more important to be especially careful with such information. Personnel should be on top of regulations regarding what information should be shared, how it is …show more content…
These values include promoting quality advancement of healthcare, demonstrating expertise and skill in the field, and promoting cooperation and collaboration among peers. These values are applied to the employer, the public, and the individual. The values related to the employer are concerned with following laws, policies, and regulations. The employee must comply with these things for the sake of their employer, who can incur punishment for their wrongdoing. The values related to the public include advocating for change and refusing to participate in or conceal unethical actions. The public continues to be concerned with the quality of health care services and the security of their personal information. Putting these concerns to rest is part of the HIM profession’s mission. There are also values related to the professionals themselves and their associations. They must be honest and always strive to honor themselves, their peers, and their profession. Overall, these values require a balancing of conflicting obligations that may arise. That is why the Code of Ethics attempts to guide professionals as they face these