¶ … social media and smartphones in the area of healthcare, and how legal and ethical principles are to be applied to ensure their proper use in healthcare as pertains to personal technology.
The field of healthcare is eagerly embracing all technology that is capable of improving patient outcomes, lowering expenses, and streamlining operations; however, healthcare professionals need to pause and consider the negative effect of technology on patient care and privacyTechnology implies to not only gadgets, but also social media apps (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and MySpace) used on smartphones. Healthcare workers are increasingly employing the use of smartphones today, for communication, care and efficiency. Clearly, before doing so, they need to take into consideration various issues (legal, ethical, and professional) from personal as well as hospital perspectives.
Scenario of Case
I am employed as an emergency room nurse at a hospital. One of my Friday evening shifts (7 p.m.-7 a.m.), which was filled, as is typical, with crying babies, drunken belligerent teenagers, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) exacerbations, fractures, falls, and the predictable and regular patients suffering CHF (congestive heart failure), made me miss out on a concert I desperately wanted to attend. My best friend, who was at the concert, was constantly texting me and I responded to her in between caring for patientsI was jealous of her being lucky to attend, while I was stuck at work. I thought to myself, "What a jerk she's being to torture me this way!" At about 2 a.m. in the morning, I was radioed by medics and notified of the arrival, in approximately 5 minutes, of an emergency accident victim. I sighed, used the restroom, and proceeded to set up this patient's room, forgoing a much-needed mug of coffee. The medics pulled up at the hospital and filled me in on the situation- the victim was a male, aged 28, commuting on a bus that crashed, rolled over the embankment, and overturned. They stated that a number of passengers lost their lives, while this patient remained unconscious. They started giving me an account of the state of his vitals, but my attention was drawn to the patient's face, and I did a double take. I was shocked to see that he was Jerod -- lead singer of one of my favorite bands "Blue Lizards" -- whom I have idolized ever since I heard his songs, and whose concert I had grudgingly missed. Clearly, the concert was just over and the band was being transported to their place of stay when the mishap occurred. I quickly texted my best friend; she was skeptical at first, and asked me to prove it. Without thinking, I snapped a picture of his with my smartphone when nobody else was around, and forwarded it to her. I didn't think my actions would lead to any untoward consequences; I reasoned that celebs were "public property;" having their pictures taken was part and parcel of their lives. I didn't stop at one photo, though; I snapped a number of pictures of him unconscious, in different stages of undress, followed by a snap of demographic data, home address, and telephone number, from his EHR (electronic health record). I sat my cellphone down on his bedside table, before continuing my assessment of his condition. The very next morning, a colleague texted me to convey the information that a huge investigation was underway at the hospital, on account of a HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) violation, involving a celeb who was admitted hereApparently, the Gossip Gazette had got a hold of some of his photographs, and therefore, a lawsuit was filed against my place of work. Seeing that I had sent only one photo, to none other than my best friend, whom I could trust to keep the matter confidential, I reached for my phone. It was only then that I realized it was missing.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Smartphones and Social Media in Healthcare
Smartphone and social media use in healthcare is not without its advantages. Patients rely on social media for directly reporting data (e.g., blood glucose and blood pressure readings) to doctors from their self-controlled, home-based monitoring devices, or for documenting or reporting on medicine use. Additionally, patients send data from their PHRs (personal health records) to their physicians (Social Media, Healthcare & Health Centers -- RCHN CHF, n.d). It was discovered by a California HealthCare Foundation study conducted in 2010, which surveyed over 1800 adults, that only seven percent of participants made use of a PHR. Further, PHR use is mostly concentrated in West California. However, an increasing number of patients are turning to PHR use; of the survey participants without a PHR, forty percent expressed their desire to use one. Another important point to take into account is that, 58% of these individuals interested in using PHR preferred using one from a provider/hospital, while half claimed they...
Healthcare Technology gives us more capabilities than we ever had before, and health care organizations need to ensure that their staff members are aware of the regulations surrounding the use of technology in the workplace, both for work-related activities and private activities. The prompt was of a nurse who took photos of a celebrity and texted them to her friend. This action constitutes a violation of HIPAA, wherein the Privacy Rule
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