Legal And Ethical Issues In Healthcare Professional Communication

386 Words2 Pages
There are several ethical and legal issues that can occur when healthcare professionals begin to communicate with patients via email. Legally, there are licensing restrictions between different states and liability concerns (Report of the Council, 2002). Ethically, there are concerns with establishing and maintaining a patient-provider relationship which is important for patient autonomy and ensuring patient confidentiality. Sending text messages and emails allows the opportunity for other individuals to read these messages, including the patient’s parents, physician colleagues, or other individuals who may access these accounts, jeopardizing patient confidentiality.
Another concern is that communicating electronically can lead to miscommunication.