Issues In Rebecca Skloot´s The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks

The walls in the office of healthcare providers are made sound proof by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). Sound proof meaning that each patient’s healthcare information can only be shared between the provider and the patient; their information is required to remain confidential by law. In 1996, HIPPA was passed by congress; the act included regulations that would help to protect patient privacy and health information (Petersen, 2001). After reading the novel, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot one may be appalled and think that what occurs in the novel is a complete violation of HIPPA. But, the time frame needs to be taken into consideration. At the time that Henrietta Lacks was alive, HIPPA

When reading the novel, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot, it is shocking to see how this whole case was handled. Doctors at John Hopkins Hospital took cells from Henrietta without her knowledge or consent and went on to create the first line of human immortal cells that would help make the polio vaccine and find cures for cancers. Also Henrietta’s name and personal healthcare information as released to the general public without her family even being aware that these cells existed (Skloot, 2011). When reading this novel in the current time it can be shocking, because major violations of patient privacy and lack of informed consent is now protected by federal law. Unfortunately, Henrietta could not be protected by the federal acts such as HIPPA that we have today. It would be easy to argue that in the case if Henrietta Lacks there is major violations involving HIPPA, but one cannot argue that due to the time period her case occurred in. If this situation occurred in the current day then there would be major consequences for those who released all of Henrietta’s medical information, including large fines and even jail time. Now violation of HIPPA is an ethical dilemma, while back in the time of Henrietta, HIPPA did not exist so it can not be argued that her case violated this federal law that protects all of us as patients