Health Information Management (HIM) is the information management applied to health care. It’s the mechanism of analysing, acquiring and protecting both digital and traditional medicine so as to improve the health care of patients and their privacy. Computerization process has transformed largely the method of paper work to automated one for future reference and enhances accuracy.
Health information management ensures that there are norms / ethics which should be adhered to ensure safeguarding vital information. This will permit important information not to be disclosed to the public aimlessly. This is evident in this case study whereby Francine being a first time worker in the Springfield Memorial Hospital divulged vital information to the media ("AHIMA", 2002).
The first question to discuss in this case study is the action that Asasif should have taken after Francine’s error. Francine should be laid accountable for divulging that information. Asasif should summon her and ensure disciplinary measures are taken upon her. This is because she did not safeguard security and privacy of health information. She should have asked herself who should access patient’s information and which mechanisms were accepted so as to disclose that information. Her judgement was based on mere assumption that the caller was the patient’s family or friend.
Francine should have also developed and maintained the health information system. Being the first time and having undergone the orientation process she should have been informed on how to handle information in the system. She wasn’t aware whether Patricia Maxwell was a strong candidate for governor. She lacked access to information on the current and emerging issues. She did not ensure that accessibility and integrity of health information was followed. Before giving out any substantial information, she should have made a follow-up on the caller. Her ignorance would ultimately lead to a punishment to ensure that no recurrence took place in the future.
The second question analyses how this information leak would have been curbed. During the admission of the Patricia Maxwell in the rehabilitation unit, the health information management department should have been made aware to ensure that any relevant information concerning Patricia was safeguarded from unauthorised persons. Even after the Francise questioned about the room number of Patricia, she could have followed to assert why the information was of importance to the caller.
The public relation director should have also given Francine relevant information as to why she should have safeguarded the information .Francine herself should have sought assistance from the relevant department before giving out the information to the media whom she thought was a friend. If all those were put into consideration that information could have been secured and could not have reached the newsrooms.
Question three requires both external and internal forces that had an impact on this case. One of the internal forces that impacted was the enthusiasm of Patricia Maxwell to become governor yet she had spirit in drinking and gambling which she had to find out mechanism on how to deal with it. Her husband also played a vital role whereby she suggested to her to seek a medical innervation in Springfield memorial hospital for rehabilitation.
External forces also impacted in this case. These were the roles played by both the departments in the hospital and also by the media which was making all efforts to know the where about of Patricia after her sudden leave.
The fourth question seeks to address the legal issues involved in this case. One of the issues is the competency of the institution whereby the health information management should have the ability and right to manage one’s affairs. The second one is the legal clinical capacity to make health care decisions effectively. The other is that one should not resuscitate orders from irrelevant people to enhance the security of the information.
The fifth questions seek to analyse the ethical issues in this case. Some of this accepted code of behaviour are; confidentiality of the patients information, increased safeguard of the substance abuse, psychiatric and human immunodeficiency virus-related information and default surrogate decision making so as to safeguard the information of a patient ((SABATINO, 2010).
Advance directives also have been applied whereby Francine spent a lot of time to know them. She spent time with clerical staff and also one week in the training in the training of health information management. High standards of health information management have been maintained by the director of public health. Mentoring of practioners who are new to the health information management like Francine is of high importance to the company.
The sixth question seeks an explanation on whether the institution put into consideration the code of ethics covered in the American health information management association. In return, this ensures that confidentiality of the patient is adhered to without violation. Recreation and mentoring staff, peers and colleagues for the essence of strengthening their professionalism workforce should be considered too (Ahima, 2008).To ensure that there is professionalism in the work place, it is important for all staff members to place the interests of the patients before theirs.as a result; the institution gets that recognition and honour which improves its statistics. The other one is to preserve, provide protection and security to personal health information by considering the application statutes and regulations required. There should also be advancement in the information management knowledge and techniques through which education researches publications and presentations are enhanced. Engagement in research and evaluation improves confidentiality of participant through the collection of data (Ahima, 2008).
The seventh question aims at discovering the best form of action that could have brought about the perfect solution to the whole issue. This involves choosing a case study in a theoretical way whereby researcher focuses on what he want to follow e.g. phenomenon or elements. The case involves the choice of interest of the researcher so that analysis should be defined at the beginning so that clarity of research strategy is brought out clearly.
In conclusion case studies bring out the ethical/ accepted code of behaviour to ensure certain objectives in specific fields adhere for effective working and competence.
The case study should seek to keep the integrity and wholeness of the case. Each case has the set points which should be identified in the onset of the case e.g. if it’s in the hospital does it involve characters of doctors?
References
Lekha, O. (2003). Ards: John Mathews at Ards Arts Centre. Circa, (103), 70.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/25563930
SABATINO, C. (2010). The Policy. Milbank Quarterly, Evolution of Health Care Advance
Planning Law and 88(2), 211-239. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0009.2010.00596.x
