Protection of health information is important. HIPAA Privacy Rule protects the privacy of individuals. Individuals must consent to have their health information disclosed to other people. Health care providers can share and discuss health information of an individual if he/she does not object. Sharing of information only happens in cases where the person receiving the information needs to know for payment or needs to know about the care of the patient. If the patient is unconscious, the health care provider of the patient can share the information to a family member ('Health Information Privacy', 2014). Nursing workplace is field that involves dealing with human participants. Getting their consent during their consent during research is important but not in all cases. Physicians give informed consent for procedures such as placing feeding tubes, blood transfusion products. As a registered nurse, we witness the consent and to ensure that the patients understands the risks of the procedure and the benefits.
We witness as the physicians talks to them of the procedure involved. The workplace setting requires disclosure of information for treatment purposes only. In most cases, a written consent is vital. During the research process, obtaining consent from the patient may pose a challenge to the research process. The researchers conduct their research and they need to assure the patients of their privacy as HIPAA directs. Vulnerable population consists of people who are not able to give their consent. They include people of unsound mind, children, pregnant women and fetuses that make them helpless. Prisoners are also the vulnerable population. Workers are also part of the vulnerable group; the employer often encourages workers to participate in research to improve the health and safety of the workplace. Studies with workplace review by the local IRBS overseeing the workplace studies. They consult the worker as required (CITI, 2014)
Protection of confidentiality and data
Researchers need to complete required formal training to equip them with skills for research. Any profession has its certifications after completion of required course. In nursing, after completion of formal education, one gets certification as a registered nurse. A good example of such training is the CITI program. Completing the training and getting the certifications acts as a proof of professionalism (Williams, 2012). The researcher gets to know the laws and regulations that guide the research practice. During the training process, researchers learn the laws that will help them in carrying out the research process. The concept of receiving training online is surprising to me. The training happens online and does not require people to attend formal classes. It is surprising because the same trainees will have to work in different research fields. After taking the CITI training, I have learnt that there are so much rules and regulations that apply to the practice.
References
Williams, S. G. (2012) “The Ethics of Internet Research,” from Online Journal of Nursing Informatics, volume 16, issue two, pages 38–48.
Health Information Privacy. (2014). Hhs.gov. Retrieved 21 April 2014, from http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/
Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI). (2014). Retrieved from https://www.citiprogram.org/members/index.cfm?pageID=665
