The nurses are discussing ethical issues in relation to nursing informatics. Which of the following ethical issues might develop as a result of nursing informatics? Select all that apply

Question

1. The Medical Records Department employee informed one of his friends about a hospitalized client's address. The house was burglarized while the client was hospitalized.
2. The insurance company denied coverage to a client due to an undiagnosed pre-existing condition. The insurance company deduced that the client had diabetes mellitus after the client's glucose levels were consistently above 140 mg/dL during hospitalization.
3. A computer hacker stole information from the hospital's computerized billing system and used the information to obtain a credit card in a client's name.
4. The client's sister-in-law is an employee in the laboratory at the hospital, and discovered that the client had been admitted. The employee told the client's brother about the admission and specific laboratory results that indicated that the client was HIV-positive.
5. The information from the client's admission was used in research by the nurse manager to reduce the unit's average length of stay and increase quality of care.

Answer 1

Answer: 1; 2; 3; 4

Rationale:
• The Medical Records Department employee informed one of his friends about a hospitalized client's address. The house was burglarized while the client was hospitalized. Advances made in technology and communication with nursing informatics increase the number of ethical issues that surround nursing. Security issues can affect a whole community that utilizes a health care organization. This is an issue that could occur due to nursing informatics.
• The insurance company denied coverage to a client due to an undiagnosed pre-existing condition. The insurance company deduced that the client had diabetes mellitus after the client's glucose levels were consistently above 140 mg/dL during hospitalization. Advances made in technology and communication with nursing informatics increase the number of ethical issues that surround nursing. When health care insurance companies gain access to this extra information, they can use this it to deny coverage. This is a result of poor security.
• A computer hacker stole information from the hospital's computerized billing system and used the information to obtain a credit card in a client's name. Advances made in technology and communication with nursing informatics increase the number of ethical issues that surround nursing. Security issues can affect a whole community that utilizes a health care organization. This is an example of something that could occur as a result of poor security.
• The client's sister-in-law is an employee in the laboratory at the hospital, and discovered that the client had been admitted. The employee told the client's brother about the admission and specific laboratory results that indicated that the client was HIV-positive. Advances made in technology and communication with nursing informatics increase the number of ethical issues that surround nursing. This is an example of a break in confidentiality and privacy because information was shared with people who were unauthorized. This is in direct violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.
• The information from the client's admission was used in research by the nurse manager to reduce the unit's average length of stay and increase quality of care. This is not an example of an ethical issue. This is an example of how data can be used to improve quality of care.