Susan Keesee, UNC-CH, April 16, 2003
Ethical obligations to protect the confidentiality of sensitive medical information have been the subject of discussion since the Hippocratic Oath.
Begin to answer and ask more questions about these elements of health information on the Internet:
I. How and why did health care privacy issues become important with the increased implementation of Internet technology?
II. What risks do individuals take when looking for information about health related topics on the Internet?
III. What is HIPPA (the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act) and how will it address privacy, data handling and abuse issues?
(If the acronyms are boggling your mind, go here: Acronyms glossary )
IV. As information professionals, what responsibilities do we have to inform individuals of privacy risks while upholding the standard of care new technologies allow?
Fuel for discussion:
How will health privacy issues impact the job tasks I perform as a (your choice of title)?security specialist: http://www.cdc.gov/nedss/Security/Secure_Data_Network3.pdf
Public or medical librarian: Coranavirus never seen before in humans is the cause of SARS
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/releases/2003/pr31/en/
Implementing technology to provide protected health information to doctors abroad: Article on telemedicine
Dealing with aging parents or others around us: Reminder to take medications on time
How might these issues impact my choice of employer?
pre-existing conditions
less than 50 employees
self-insured employer group
student health services
Links to essential readings from the March 12, 2003, MLA (Medical Library Association) satellite teleconference program titled "Get HIP to HIPAA"
This presentation was given by Susan Keesee on April 16, 2003 in Dr. Paul Jones' Internet Issues class (INLS 281)
Susan is a graduate student in the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.)
Contact Susan by email at her UNC-CH address and/or visit her Web site.
Last updated: Wednesday, April 23, 2003 6:24