Scenario A: Navigating Ethical Challenges in Telemedicine: Balancing Patient Privacy and Healthcare Accessibility
You are a leader in a large healthcare organization that is experiencing challenges regarding confidentiality and privacy issues in its telemedicine and digital health platforms.
The healthcare organization has recently launched a telemedicine program aimed at providing remote medical consultations and follow-up care to patients. This initiative has been instrumental in enhancing healthcare accessibility, particularly for individuals residing in rural areas or those with limited mobility. Additionally, the organization has introduced a mobile health application, which empowers patients to monitor their health metrics, engage in direct communication with healthcare providers, and access educational resources conveniently through smartphones or tablets.
Despite the evident benefits, concerns have arisen regarding the security and privacy of patient health information transmitted through these digital platforms. Several instances of data breaches and unauthorized access to patient records have surfaced, prompting scrutiny of the organization’s adherence to patient confidentiality laws and ethical responsibilities to safeguard privacy.
In your response, demonstrate an adept understanding of ethical considerations in navigating the complexities of balancing patient privacy with the utilization of telemedicine and digital health platforms to enhance healthcare access and quality.
A. Identify the critical ethical challenge requiring intervention in your selected scenario, using it to do the following:
1. Discuss the ethical challenge faced by the organization in the chosen scenario, including any conflicting values that may arise. Use evidence from the scenario to support your discussion.
2. Justify the selection of two domains from the APHA Code of Ethics that would best inform the plan to address the ethical challenge and any conflicting values discussed in part A1.
a. Explain why each of the domains identified in part A2 are most suitable for the plan, using evidence from the APHA Code of Ethics.
3. Justify the selection of one practice or policy from each of the domains identified in part A2 to address the ethical challenge and any conflicting values discussed in part A1.
a. Explain how each chosen policy or practice will guide the development of the plan for addressing the ethical challenge and any conflicting values discussed in part A1.
4. Discuss one strategy for safeguarding the most vulnerable individuals or groups affected by the ethical challenge discussed in part A1.
5. Discuss one strategy for evaluating the plan’s effectiveness once implemented.
B. Acknowledge sources, using in-text citations and references, for content that is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized.
C. Demonstrate professional communication in the content and presentation of your submission.