Security of Health Care Records With the increase of health information technology used to store and access patient information, the likelihood of security breaches has also risen. In fact, according to the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ): In the United States, there was a whopping 97% increase in the number of health records breached from 2010 to 2011… The number of patient records accessed in each breach has also increased substantially, from 26,968 (in 2010) to 49,394 (in 2011). Since August 2009, when the US government regulated that any breach affecting more than 500 patients be publicly disclosed, a total of 385 breaches, involving more than 19 million records, have been reported to the Department of Health and Human Services. A large portion of those breaches, 39%, occurred because of a lost, stolen, or otherwise compromised portable electronic device—a problem that will likely only get worse as iPads, smartphones, and other gadgets become more common in hospitals. (CMAJ, 2012, p. E215). Consider your own experiences. Does your organization use portable electronic devices? What safeguards are in place to ensure the security of data and patient information? For this Discussion you consider ethical and security issues surrounding the protection of digital health information. To prepare: · Review the Learning Resources dealing with the security of digital health care information. Reflect on your own organization or one with which you are familiar, and think about how health information stored electronically is protected. · Consider the nurse’s responsibility to ensure the protection of patient information. What strategies can you use? · Reflect on ethical issues that are likely to arise with the increased access to newer, smaller, and more powerful technology tools. · Consider strategies that can be implemented to ensure that the use of HIT contributes to an overall culture of safety. Post  1 page response APA format ( at least 3 references) 1. an analysis of the nurse’s responsibility to protect patient information and the extent that HIT has made it easier or more difficult to protect patient privacy. 2. Comment on any security or ethical issues related to the use of portable devices to store information. 3. Assess the strategies your organization uses to safeguard patient information and how these promote a culture of safety. 4. Describe an area where improvement is needed and one strategy that could address the situation. Course Readings · McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2012). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning. o Chapter 5, “Ethical Applications of Informatics” This chapter examines the ethical dilemmas that arise in nursing informatics. The authors explore the responsibilities for the ethical use of health information technology. o Chapter 15, “Information Copyright and Fair Use and Network Securit.

1. Security of Health Care Records
With the increase of health information technology used to store
and access patient information, the likelihood of security
breaches has also risen. In fact, according to the
Canadian Medical Association Journal
(CMAJ):
In the United States, there was a whopping 97% increase in the
number of health records breached from 2010 to 2011… The
number of patient records accessed in each breach has also
increased substantially, from 26,968 (in 2010) to 49,394 (in
2011). Since August 2009, when the US government regulated
that any breach affecting more than 500 patients be publicly
disclosed, a total of 385 breaches, involving more than 19
million records, have been reported to the Department of Health
and Human Services.
A large portion of those breaches, 39%, occurred because of a
lost, stolen, or otherwise compromised portable electronic
device—a problem that will likely only get worse as iPads,
smartphones, and other gadgets become more common in
hospitals. (CMAJ, 2012, p. E215).
Consider your own experiences. Does your organization use
portable electronic devices? What safeguards are in place to
ensure the security of data and patient information? For this
Discussion you consider ethical and security issues surrounding
the protection of digital health information.
To prepare:
·
Review the Learning Resources dealing with the security of
digital health care information. Reflect on your own
organization or one with which you are familiar, and think
about how health information stored electronically is protected.
·

2. Consider the nurse’s responsibility to ensure the protection of
patient information. What strategies can you use?
·
Reflect on ethical issues that are likely to arise with the
increased access to newer, smaller, and more powerful
technology tools.
·
Consider strategies that can be implemented to ensure that the
use of HIT contributes to an overall culture of safety.
Post 1 page response APA format ( at least 3 references)
1.
an analysis of the nurse’s responsibility to protect patient
information and the extent that HIT has made it easier or more
difficult to protect patient privacy.
2.
Comment on any security or ethical issues related to the use of
portable devices to store information.
3.
Assess the strategies your organization uses to safeguard patient
information and how these promote a culture of safety.
4.
Describe an area where improvement is needed and one strategy
that could address the situation.
Course Readings
·
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2012).

3. Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge
(Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones
and Bartlett Learning.
o
Chapter 5, “Ethical Applications of Informatics”
This chapter examines the ethical dilemmas that arise in
nursing informatics. The authors explore the responsibilities for
the ethical use of health information technology.
o
Chapter 15, “Information Copyright and Fair Use and Network
Security”
In this chapter, the author explains information fair use and
copyright restrictions. The chapter describes processes for
ensuring the security of a computer network.
·
Brown, B. (2009a). Improving the privacy and security of
personal health records.
Journal of Health Care Compliance
,
11
(2), 39–40, 68.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
The author of this article examines the use of the document
titled “Nationwide Privacy and Security Framework for
Electronic Exchange of Individually Identified Health

4. Information.” The article describes how the framework aims to
construct an approach to address the privacy and security
challenges that come with health information exchanges and
personal health records.
·
Dimitropoulos, L., Patel, V., Scheffler, S. A., & Posnack, S.
(2011). Public attitudes toward health information exchange:
Perceived benefits and concerns.
American Journal of Managed Care
,
17,
SP111–SP116.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
This article describes a study that sought to determine the
attitude of consumers toward electronic health information
exchanges (HIE), HIE privacy and security concerns, and the
relationship between these concerns and the perceived benefits
of HIE. The authors recommend solutions to some of the
privacy challenges stimulated by HIE.
·
Goodman, K. W. (2010). Ethics, information technology, and
public health: New challenges for the clinician-patient
relationship.
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics
,
38
(1), 58–63.

5. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
This article focuses on the challenges generated by the
increased level of adoption of health information technology
tools. The author emphasizes the ethical issues raised by
electronic public health surveillance and the secondary use of
health data.
·
Hoffman, S., & Podgurski, A. (2011). Meaningful use and
certification of health information technology: What about
safety?
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics
,
39
(3), 425–436.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
This article stresses the necessity of sufficient safeguards for
EHR systems. The author explores current safety regulations for
EHR system design and deployment. The author makes
additional recommendations for protecting public health in the
digital area.
·
Rothstein, M. A. (2010). The Hippocratic bargain and health
information technology.
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics
,
38
(1), 7–13.

6. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
The increasing availability of sensitive patient information
granted by electronic health records has generated significant
debate about patient privacy. This article examines the potential
ethical and legal consequences of patient-directed sequestering
of sensitive health information.