Critical Thinking – Module 4: Healthcare and Information Governance
Healthcare organizations have long been held to a high standard of protecting their patient population’s information. Physician – patient relationship and the privacy expectations that go along with that relationship are a time-honored belief. Individuals who are seeking medical assistance or advice should not be concerned that their reasons for assistance would be disclosed. The right to confidentiality is not just about what a person may tell their physician directly, but also what that physician might conclude based on assessment, diagnostic processes, medical records / reports, etc.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) of 2009 both include directives for patient privacy. HIPAA Privacy Rule defines standards for protection of individuals’ medical and personal health information (PHI). This rule declares the expected protections and also sets conditions for use and disclosures without authorization. HITECH expanded on privacy protections and increased liability for those out of compliance.
Information Governance
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“…Only one in three organizations is considered to have an effective governance program in place. IG programs consist of determining what the boundaries are for the assembly, analysis, and use of gathered information.” (Alter, 2006, p. 74, para 1) The healthcare industry is much further behind other business types when it comes to the utilization of data. Certainly this is due to concerns about patient confidentiality, but there is plenty of valuable information to be used without any violations of