K8- Ethics in E-Health

Ethics in e-Health

Bioethics and Humaniora DivisionMedical Education Unit

Faculty of Medicine Universitas Sumatera Utara

Telecare ( care from a distance )

One of the fastest technological developments in healthcare, especially in home care

BHP Division - Faculty of Medicine – USU.

Direct patient care



therecipient is remote from the clinician, or nurse

Use communication media

A whole range of care activities:monitoring, diagnosing,

prescribing medical treatment, giving instructions for self-care,

or offering various forms of support.



The developments are mainly stimulate by two factors :

the shortage of staff in home care the commercial interest of

the electronics industry



Advantages:

to be the opportunity for quality improvement

and the increase of patient‘s autonomy



The normative questions concerning telecare concern


The changes of form of care

will cause in care arrangements and care relationships


The basic philosophical question: what exactly can and will be transported

through the electronic networks connecting patients and caregivers?:

“information”, or also other elements of care, such as attention, seriousness, involvement,

and even treatment



To what extent will the electronic network not only function as a communication

channel, but also modify the content and meaning of what passes between

patient and professional, and thus become an actor on its own?



A second question is what the consequences of telecare will be for the responsibilities and

liabilities of the parties involved

To what extent will professional caregivers be responsible for the safety and quality

of telecare arrangements (including the provision of information), and how and when may they be liable

for adverse events due to its use?


A second question is what the consequences of telecare will be for the responsibilities and

liabilities of the parties involved

What responsibility will patients and families get when telecare is provided and to what extent must they bear

the consequences of their (possible) mistakes?


VisionThe internet is changing how people

receive health information and health care

The goal of the e-Health Code of Ethics:to ensure that people worldwide

can confidently and with full understanding of known risks realize the potential

of the internet in managing their own health and the health of those in their care


The internet has the potential to revolutionize healthcare by

providing unprecedented access to information as well as health products and

services on "e-health sites."

Vision

Health information includes information for staying well, preventing and

managing disease, and making other decisions related to health and health care.


The organizations and individuals that provide health information

on the internet have special, strong obligations

Health and health care are critically important to people

to be trustworthy, provide high quality content, protect users' privacy, and adhere to standards

of best practices for online commerce and online professional services in health care


• It includes information for making decisions about health products and health services

e- Health

• It may be in the form of data, text, audio, and/or video.

• It may involve enhancements through programming and interactivity.


1. Candor & Trustworthiness People who use the internet for

health-related purposes must have sufficient information to make

fully informed decisions about the integrity of content and

the potential for bias

e- Health


1. Candor & Trustworthiness People may not realize that personal

information may be collected when they use the Internet

People may not understand that declining to provide personal data may affect the information or services they receive

e- Health


2. Quality People who use the internet

for health-related purposes need credible, well-supported information

in order to make prudent decisions

People who use the internet for health-related purposes need to be able to

judge the credibility of content

e- Health


3. Informed Consent, Privacy & Confidentiality

To make prudent decisions about whether to provide personal information online,

especially information about their health status, people need to know what

information is being gathered and why

e- Health


• 3. Informed Consent, Privacy & Confidentiality

The personal information that may be gathered by a health-related site

is often intimate and highly sensitive

People must be able to trust that any personal information they provide

will be kept confidential and secure

e- Health



4. Best Commercial Practices

Transparency

Truthfulness

Privacy

e- Health


5. Best Practices for Provision of Health Care on the Internet by Health Care Professionals

Professional Standards The Professional-Patient Relationship

e- Health


It is important for the consumer, to understand that e-health Web sites have different

purposes or functions and that some may be more appropriate than others

focus on providing services for the health industry

provide patient health and medical content sell medical products and services

Because of the large numbers and variety of e-health sites

Many sites serve multiple functions such as providing consumer information, hosting on-line support groups and

providing business support services.

e- Health sites


CONCLUSION


• Ethical aspect in e-health must be considered as a corner stone in

e-health application in health services system

• the most reliable way to check the accuracy of health information and to obtain sound medical advice whether from the internet or elsewhere: the patient can discuss it with a licensed medical professional.

CONCLUSION

• The e-health world is still very much a consumer-beware environment• Identifying appropriate e-health sites is not an easy task for most consumers• Health professionals play an important role in helping patients with this issue• The tools mentioned here are designed to help make the selection process easier for both the patient and the patient’s healthcare provider


CONCLUSION• It is important to remember that,

while the internet is a powerful tool to obtain information about health and medicine, it should be considered as only one

of many different resources

• Online information should not be used as a complete substitute for seeking medical diagnosis and treatment

from a licensed health care professional.BHP Division - Faculty of Medicine – USU.

• Finally, all question may arise concerning the liability of manufacturers and importers

of devices and software, not only for hidden defects but also for inadequate information. These question necessitate a legal analysis, next to the moral analysis.

CONCLUSION


K8- Ethics in E-Health

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