Access To Medical Records: Professional Ethics In Health (Math Problem Sample)

Access to Medical Records
Author Name
Institutional Affiliate
Huping Zhou was charged with four counts of violating the federal medical law. He was charged for viewing the UCLA patient’s documents which some were for some celebrities and high people. He was charged for accessing and reading his supervisors files and other celebrities’ health records. On the terms of HIPAA policy it was wrong for Zhou to access any patient’s medical records after termination because it was wrong according to the law governing medical practitioners. HIPAA policies advice on establishing protocols that would terminate access to medical records after being dismissed from work.
Zhou went against the medical ethics by accessing the medical records after he was terminated from the UCLA working system. It was wrong and he probably knew but to his ignorance or his curiosity he probably wanted to get back to the people who had fired him by using their medical records in other ways by maybe applying to credit cards or selling to tabloids. Probably he did not do this because he was caught in the act and it is clear that he would have considered doing something different with these records if he was not caught to sustain himself because he was then jobless or to get back to the people that had fired him.
It was a criminal offence against the accountability ACT of 1996 of HIPAA rules that establishes national standards to protect individual’s medical records and other personal records on their health. The rule sets limits and conditions on the uses and any disclosures that might be made on any of the documents and also gives the patients’ rights over their medical records and information and rights to print, copy and correct their information. confidentiality in medicine serves two purposes in terms of respecting the patient’s privacy to help them feel free and no shame and vulnerable and also the second is creating a good environment between the doctor and the patient to allow honesty between the doctor and the patient.
Ethical Analysis Model

Statement Of Facts

Huping Zhou was a licensed cardiothoracic surgeon who had been employed as researcher. After some time UHS terminated his employment and it is after his termination that he accessed patient’s records some celebrities and of his co-workers more than 300 times in separate four occasions. He was charged on violation of HIPAA rules knowingly obtaining medical records.

Ethical Issue Statement

The fact that Zhou violated the HIPAA provision that imposes the misdemeanor penalty on any individual who knowingly violates this part by obtaining a patient’s health information.

Support For Ethical Issues

It is important to safe guard and protect the patient information and health records according to the medical ethics and rules that govern each patient’s confidentiality and security in terms on health matters. When a patient is sure that his/her information is safe guard from un authorized access by other people they are able to speak freely and share their information with their doctors, nurses and other medical practitioners. Since there are many conditions that are stigmatizing like sexual transmitted diseases patients are assured that their information is safe and cannot be disposed to their family or colleagues without their consent.
The patient’s information can only be discussed among the hospital team when they are trying to look for a solution for a patient and are required to protect that information for their patients.

Ethical Alternatives

Many violations of HIPAA that had occurred in UCLA were from poor dismissal protocols. Instead of prosecuting all employees who happen to snoop through the patient’s records or their employees records the court should prosecute those who have a criminal intent and are caught using the files illegally and against the federal laws.
The medical institutions should secure their systems from any access by an authorized persons and should make sure that if an employee’s employment is terminated they cannot access any system in the institution or any medical files.
It is vital to make sure that that all the medical team are aware of the HIPAA laws that regulate in the facility, that way it is easier to avoid risking prosecution and jail.

Choosing an Ethical Opinion

Securing the medical systems is the best alternative to help reduce the case...