UNIT 5: ETHICAL ISSUES IN
HEALTH INFORMATICS
1. BIOETHICS
➢The study and formulation of
healthcare ethics.
➢Takes on relevant ethical problems
experienced by healthcare providers
in the provision of care to individuals
and groups.
Ethics vs Morality
Ethical Dilemmas Morality Dilemmas
Ethical dilemmas arise
when moral issues raise
questions that cannot
be answered with a
simple, clearly defined
rule, fact, or authoritative view.
Moral dilemmas occur
when some evidence
indicates that an act is
morally right and some
evidence indicates the
act is morally wrong
Ethical Decision Making
-
is the process of making
informed choices about ethical
dilemmas based on a set of
standards differentiating right
from wrong.
2. Ethical Principles
➢Principlism arose as societies became
more
heterogeneous and members began
experiencing a diversity of incompatible
beliefs and values.
➢Principles were expansive enough to be
shared by all rational individuals, regardless
of their background and individual beliefs.
2. Ethical Principles
a. Autonomy
b. Beneficence
c. Non-maleficence
d. Justice
e. Veracity
a. Autonomy
Means that individuals have a right to self
determination, that is, to make decisions
about their lives without interference
from others.
b. Beneficence
Means that all medical practitioners have a
moral duty to promote the course of action
that they believe is in the best interests of
the patient.
c. Non-maleficence
States that a medical practitioner has a
duty to do no harm or allow harm
to be caused to a patient through neglect.
d. Justice
Centered on maintaining obligation, equity,
and fairness through the application of
moral principles, rules, and established
standards.
e. Veracity
Defined as being honest and telling the
truth and is related to the principle of
autonomy.
 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
by President Obama with the primary
purpose of encouraging healthcare
providers to adopt Electronic Healthcare
Records and supporting technology.
BENEFITS OF HITECH ACT:
✔Improve healthcare quality
✔ Reduce the cost of health care
✔ Improve people’s health by promoting
prevention, early detection, and
management of chronic diseases
✔ Protect public health by fostering early
detection and rapid response to infectious
diseases, bioterrorism, and other situations
✔ Facilitate clinical research
✔ Reduce health disparities
✔ Better secure patient health information

Health Insurance Portability and

Accountability Act (HIPAA)
➢It is a federal law that required the
creation of national standards to protect
sensitive patient health information
from being disclosed without the patient's
consent or knowledge.
The purpose of this act is to:
✔ Enforce standards for health information
✔ Guarantee the security and privacy of
health
information
✔ Assure health insurance portability for
employed
persons
✔ Curtail healthcare fraud and abuse

V. REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10173: Data Privacy

Act of 2012
AN ACT PROTECTING INDIVIDUAL
PERSONAL INFORMATION IN
INFORMATION AND
COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS IN THE
GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR,
CREATING FOR THIS PURPOSE A NATIONAL
PRIVACY COMMISSION, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES
4. Legal Aspects of Healthcare
Informatics Health Information Technology
for Economic and Clinical Health” (HITECH)
Act
was signed
into law in February 2009 as part of the
Penalties

Section 28.