Module 6

1. What is one new thing you learned in this module, or something that you knew but had forgotten?

One new thing that I learned in module 6 was how many ethical issues are involved as information technology changes.  Some of the ethical issues are things that have been around for many years like not getting into information for patients you are not taking care of, making sure that you don’t give out your own personal password, and logging out when you leave the computer.  Ethical issues are becoming more complex than that now.  There are more ways to use technology in medicine.  X-rays and medical records can be viewed at home by physicians, personal medical records can be accessed not just in the hospital but also in clinics, and there are copious amounts of information in one place to keep private and confidential.  Ethical issues include what is available and to whom.  Although having personal health information in one place can be essential in providing good care it can also be disastrous if that information goes to the wrong person.  Insurance rates and coverage are all dependent on our health.  Discrimination and bias can be established from the same information. 

This semester I have learned at how much technology really can help us in the medical field.  Information found at work in the CPG database is more than I was aware was available to me.  The use for technology seems more of a good thing rather than just another computer program to have to learn.  I find that I am using them more in my everyday practice.  However it has been also eye opening at how many problems can come.  I am sure that as technology advances it will get worse.  Some ongoing questions are who has a right to have the information, can a patient deny access to their records, and when is it appropriate for the information to be given out.  Accuracy in the data is another ethical area.  If the information is put in the record but is inaccurate how do you change that?  What if a patient is treated off the inaccurate data and new problems are created for that patient. 

This semester my appreciation for this technology and the positives and the negatives that go with it has been increased.