Medical Ethics and Emerging Media
Patients expect doctors to be trustworthy. They trust us with their lives, privacy, and information. When doctors use electronic medical records, EMR, the patients worry that they will be available to anyone who has a computer. The 
doctors and other healthcare providers must follow medical ethics. All doctors who belong to the AMA, American Medical Association must adhere to the “Principles of Medical Ethics” found at www.ama.org. Doctors must ensure privacy of EMR and only disclose what the patient requests.
Doctors share information ethically. When patients want a physicians or healthcare providers to share information, they must make the request in writing in which identifying information is given. It is unethical to share information without permission. The new HIPAA Laws, Heath Information Portability and Accountability Act, require patient permission to permit health information disclosure as explained in http://www.hhs.gov.ocr/hipaa.
Most physicians will discuss a patient’s health status if someone accompanies a patient to the office visit. That is implied consent. Many wives accompany husbands to the doctor’s office to help take care of the patient with medication and treatment instructions. HIPAA has guides to what a healthcare practitioner can ethically disclose. The HIPAA Privacy Rule is (PDF – 372KB). The United States Department of Health and Human Services provides educational materials to patients concerning privacy of medical records. A patient can download a file and conveniently carry it on a disc, www.b2b-exchange.com.
When patients have a complex medical history with diabetes, hypertension,
or Atherosclerotic Heard Disease, ASHD, the patients can transport all of their records on discs. The physician who accepts these patients, will easily download the medical information. Since the patient has the disc, the patient is in control of health care information and who can read it, according to www.BuyerZone.com. The patient chooses who reads medical information. See podcast discussion with Mary Whitt, Senior Management Consultant. (Source: SoundPractice.net)
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Hello
My name is Diane and I have worked as a Healthcare Provider for over thirty years in many fields of medicine such as Public Health and Emergency Medicine. As a experienced physcisian I have used books, print media, slides and slide projectors, overhead projectors, paper and pens, C-Band, Satellite communications, telephone, fax, and email. Through Integrated Marketing Communication, I plan to explore chat rooms, effectively use an Ipod, explore web forums, and text messaging. I hope to express ideas on this blog and share information in emerging media and how it impacts medicine.
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