Introduction
The availability of more advanced forms of technology had greatly changed the dynamics of the many aspects of human lives. From how people share their photos or how they communicate with one another, advancements in technologies had played a huge role. Similarly, smartphones had swept people off their feet and revolutionized the world in an instant. Furthermore, the applications of the use of smartphone continue to advance. For instance, in the health care setting, more and more people have relied on the convenience and mobility that smartphones can provide them. In 2012, it had been noted that more than 90 percent of health care professionals have possession of smart phones. Smartphones have been used extensively to help health care professionals carry out tasks for the care of their patients. With smartphones, health care professionals can communicate better with relevant individuals, access patient's electronic data, acquire necessary information, and use many other softwares for clinical use (Bautista & Gaglani, 2013). However, similar to any devices, smartphones should also be used with caution. Its use should likewise be governed by certain protocols and policies to ensure hat any professional, legal or ethical issues will be dealt with accordingly. This paper will likewise discuss the privacy concerns, legal and ethical issues with regard to the use of smartphones in a health care setting using a specific scenario. The use of social media will also be discussed since smartphones have been a means to access many social media nowadays.
Body
In the provided scenario, the conclusion that was chosen was the fourth one where the nurse’s smartphone with certain health information was stolen and ended up in the hands of a magazine publication. The general use of smartphone and social media will be discussed first in order to determine the potential end result of the scenario.
The use of smartphones in a health care is convenient due to a variety of reasons. Smartphones are portable, making it far more superior than computers. Thus, if nurses or doctors need a computer function, then they would not have to go to a nearby computer and leave a patient behind. Smartphones are also convenient since they provide health care professionals with an easier access to relevant information and sources. Smartphones and social media also allow easier form of communications. Health care professionals can now consult each other even they are not physically together. Lastly, smartphones are convenient since it allows users to have clinical applications in the palm of their hands. With smartphones, everything can be accessed easily. A health care professional would not need to bring several devices like their beeper and other clinical sources. They can fit everything in their pocket with smartphones (Ventola, 2014). Smartphones also allow health care professionals to make better decisions. The access to valuable resources that smartphones provide allow health care professionals to take care of their patients based on concrete evidence based practices. For instance, pharmacists can also use smartphones to access detailed information on drugs, thus, providing better service (Ventola, 2014).
Moreover, smartphones have also been found to improve the documentation of patients’ records, and increase the efficiency and productivity of health care professionals. Since smartphones are relatively easy to use, heath care professionals input information like diagnosis, codes, and medication more accurately. The interface of smartphones allows processes to carry out faster, thus increasing the efficiency and productivity of health care professionals (Ventola, 2014).
Since smartphones and social media can allow better performance in the health care setting, it can be expected that bottleneck processes can be avoided. This means that health care professionals can focus more of their precious time and energy on other more important matters that relates to their patients’ care.
The use of smartphones and social media in the health care setting can come as a disadvantage. For instance, smartphones are devices that retain data, compromising the security and privacy of patients. Electronic health information are valuable and should be protected at all times. Additionally, not all the smartphones used by health care professionals are encrypted or have secure passwords. This makes electronic health information susceptible to misuse due to theft. The portability of smartphones also allows it to be more vulnerable to theft and loss (Barret,2011). The communication between a patient and a health care professional, which can be through the messaging features of social media, can also be recovered from a smartphone once it is stolen. Thus, the use of smartphones and social media in the health care can put the security and privacy of patients at risk.
The main policy that governs the privacy and security issues regarding medical care is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 or HIPAA. To respond with the changes in the health care practice, HIPAA had likewise been modified. The general rule that HIPAA has is that any health information is subject to confidentiality, unless it is permitted by certain privacy regulations. According to HIPAA, confidential patient information shared on social media and other platforms is a violation (Rorer, 2013).
The provided scenario proves that information on smartphones are really vulnerable to theft due to its portability. Even though that it was not the nurse who leaked the information to the magazine publication, she is still at fault. She shared the pictures of the patient with her friend, causing a breach of confidentiality and privacy. Thus, putting sensitive information out there, violating the patient’s right and the duty that the nurse had vowed to uphold. This alone can serve as a ground for her termination from the hospital that she is working for. This can also mean that she could lose her license and never practicing again. HIPAA explicitly stated that any information that a nurse acquires during her interaction with the patient should remain between her and other health care professionals who are also helping with the patient. There was also no consent or any form that can justify her information sharing with a friend (Rorer, 2013).
As for the leak of information, there should be an appropriate investigation that in the hospital. Nevertheless, it is a health care professional’s duty to protect all health care information that they possess, including the ones that they put in their smartphones. This means that the nurse is also at fault for the leak even if she was not responsible for the direct leak. The hospital should likewise fortify their health care professionals’ knowledge of the restrictions when it comes to privacy and security of all relevant information. The one who leaked the information should likewise undergo due process and be charged appropriately (Rorer, 2013).
Conclusion
Smartphones and social media are both wonderful products of human efforts. Their use in the health care setting is endless, but is also vulnerable to misuse. Furthermore, people in the health care industry should be extra cautious with their use of the said technology.
References
Barrett, C. (2011). Healthcare Providers May Violate HIPAA1 by Using Mobile Devices to Communicate with Patients. ABA Health eSource, 8(2). Retrieved July 21, 2016.
Rorer, S.S. (2013). Social Media Compliance Challenges: From HIPAA to the NLRA. American Health Lawyers Association. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
Ventola, C.L. (2014). Mobile Devices and Apps for Health Care Professionals: Uses and Benefits. NCBI, 39(5): 356-364.
