Technology, Data Security and Ethics
Capella University
BUS 4121: Ethics in Healthcare Management
Sarah presents to her local emergency room at a local hospital due to a medical
emergency. Sarah is a 32-year-old woman with a recent history of being treated for depression
and anxiety, which she is under treatment for and has made progress in her treatment. Staff in the
emergency room have access to her mental health history, treatments and hospitalization notes.
Should the staff have access to Sarah’s mental health history and treatments? Does the staff need
access to the notes to accurately do their jobs and provide care?
Privacy vs. Care
Patients do have an expectation of a right to privacy; however, healthcare staff do need
mental health as well as medical health histories to completely and accurately provide the care
that patients need. Sarah’s mental health history is a part of her healthcare and medical history.
Her mental health history may play a role in how treatments are chosen and administered due to
the risk of adverse effects of medications, treatments and duplication of testing. The health
information exchange (HIE) allows healthcare providers the opportunity to appropriately access
and securely share patient medical information electronically (Wen, 2010).
The ethical principle of beneficence and non-maleficence would play a part in this
instance. Beneficence is the principle of doing what is best for the patient. In this instance having
, Sarah’s medical and mental health history would be of best interest to her and her care. Having
this information would make it possible for the healthcare team to make decisions that would not
adversely affect her mental health treatments. Nonmaleficence is the ethical principle where all
risk needs to be weighed against benefit (Gelling, 1999). It would be difficult to make the correct
decision about risk vs. benefit during Sarah’s treatment without having all the facts in her
medical and mental health history.
Informed Consent
Sarah has a right to autonomy or informed consent. Informed consent requires the patient
Capella University
BUS 4121: Ethics in Healthcare Management
Sarah presents to her local emergency room at a local hospital due to a medical
emergency. Sarah is a 32-year-old woman with a recent history of being treated for depression
and anxiety, which she is under treatment for and has made progress in her treatment. Staff in the
emergency room have access to her mental health history, treatments and hospitalization notes.
Should the staff have access to Sarah’s mental health history and treatments? Does the staff need
access to the notes to accurately do their jobs and provide care?
Privacy vs. Care
Patients do have an expectation of a right to privacy; however, healthcare staff do need
mental health as well as medical health histories to completely and accurately provide the care
that patients need. Sarah’s mental health history is a part of her healthcare and medical history.
Her mental health history may play a role in how treatments are chosen and administered due to
the risk of adverse effects of medications, treatments and duplication of testing. The health
information exchange (HIE) allows healthcare providers the opportunity to appropriately access
and securely share patient medical information electronically (Wen, 2010).
The ethical principle of beneficence and non-maleficence would play a part in this
instance. Beneficence is the principle of doing what is best for the patient. In this instance having
, Sarah’s medical and mental health history would be of best interest to her and her care. Having
this information would make it possible for the healthcare team to make decisions that would not
adversely affect her mental health treatments. Nonmaleficence is the ethical principle where all
risk needs to be weighed against benefit (Gelling, 1999). It would be difficult to make the correct
decision about risk vs. benefit during Sarah’s treatment without having all the facts in her
medical and mental health history.
Informed Consent
Sarah has a right to autonomy or informed consent. Informed consent requires the patient
