1. The Dr. Tanis AI processes and stores personal medical information.

Not only does it

take this information in the form of input from the patient, it also has access to that
patient’s records. What laws and/or regulations do you think GCPG is subject to in its
development and operation of Dr. Tanis? Why are these laws and/or regulations
applicable to Dr. Tanis? What are these laws and/or regulations meant to protect?
 Greene City Physicians Group (GCPG) is delving into automated patient care with
the introduction of Dr. Tanis, a chatbot designed to diagnose and treat patients
remotely. This innovative approach aims to ease the strain on limited physician
resources and provide a convenient option for patients looking for medical support
from the comfort of their home. However, like any AI system that processes
personal medical information, Dr. Tanis raises significant ethical concerns. It not
only handles the patient's symptoms and medical history, but also accesses and
stores sensitive personal data. In this context, GCPG must comply with relevant
laws and regulations governing data privacy and healthcare operations. These may
include the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the
US, which aims to protect patient medical information, and regulations around the
use of AI fit. ethics in health care. Such laws and regulations are in place to protect
patient confidentiality, ensure data security, and maintain ethical standards in
medical practice. Compliance with these measures is critical to protecting patient
privacy and maintaining trust in automated healthcare systems like Dr. Tanis.
2. The personal medical information handled by Dr. Tanis needs to be kept private and
secure when it is within the organization’s networks and systems, as well as when that
information traverses the Internet. What standards and/or best practices do you think
apply to GCPG’s security needs when it comes to Dr. Tanis? Why are these standards
and/or best practices applicable to Dr. Tanis? What guidelines do these standards
and/or best practices provide?
 When Greene City Physician Group (GCPG) ventured into automated patient care
with Dr. Tanis, they had to prioritize the security and privacy of the personal
medical information the group handled. For patients who rely on chatbots to share
sensitive data over the internet, strong security measures are needed to protect this
information from unauthorized access or breach. Standards and best practices such
as those outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA) in the United States are critical for GCPG to comply with. HIPAA sets
guidelines to protect the confidentiality and integrity of patient health information,
mandating secure storage and transmission protocols. Additionally, cybersecurity
best practices, including encryption, access controls, and regular security audits,
are required to minimize the risks associated with Dr. Tanis's activities. By
adhering to these standards and practices, GCPG can ensure patient trust and
confidence while maintaining ethical obligations to protect their privacy in the
digital age .
3. The Dr. Tanis AI needs access to a great deal of this health data, but at the same time,
GCPG sees the value in minimizing data collection, sharing, and storage. Why are
these business needs in conflict? How might you reconcile these two conflicting
needs? Be sure to explain your reasoning using what you learned in the course.
 When Greene City Physician Group (GCPG) applied automation to the care of Dr.
Tanis' patients, they faced a fundamental ethical issue: balancing the need for
comprehensive health data . face. face the need to minimize data collection,
sharing and storage. On one hand, Dr. Tanis requires access to a wealth of personal
 health information to effectively diagnose and treat patients remotely. However, in
an era of increasing concerns about data privacy and security, GCPG recognizes
the importance of limiting the scope of data collection to protect patient
confidentiality and compliance regulatory requirements such as HIPAA.
Reconciling these conflicting needs involves striking a delicate balance between
data utility and privacy protection. GCPG may apply strategies such as
implementing data minimization measures, anonymizing or pseudonymizing
sensitive information, and using encryption techniques to protect data in transit
and at rest. Additionally, adopting a privacy by design approach requires
incorporating privacy principles into the design and development of Dr. Tanis from
the beginning, ensured that privacy considerations were integral to the company's
operations. By prioritizing both Dr. Tanis' effectiveness and patient privacy, GCPG
can address this ethical conundrum responsibly and sustainably.
4. Dr. Tanis currently has very few restrictions when it comes to the severity of a
patient’s medical issue. It can prescribe treatment for everything from the common
cold to type 2 diabetes. Should the AI have this responsibility without needing to
consult a human doctor? Should there be some form of human oversight to prevent Dr.
Tanis from making decisions about serious medical concerns? Be sure to explain your
reasoning using what you learned in the course.
5. A patient lies to Dr. Tanis about experiencing pain in order to get the Dr. Tanis AI to
prescribe painkillers. Should Dr. Tanis have the power to prescribe medicine that is
commonly abused by patients? In other words, should Dr. Tanis enable self-destructive
behavior? Be sure to explain your reasoning using what you learned in the course.
6. The Dr. Tanis AI is able to prescribe antibiotics to patients. However, the
overprescription of antibiotics has become an issue in recent years, as patients build up
antibiotic resistances, reducing the effectiveness of treatment. Is it ethically justified
for Dr. Tanis to prescribe antibiotics that benefit the individual, but might ultimately
cause harm to society at large? Can these two competing pressures be reconciled? Be
sure to explain your reasoning using what you learned in the course.
7. It’s inevitable that Dr. Tanis will prescribe the wrong treatment on occasion, no matter
how accurate it is. In some cases, this mistake can put the patient’s health in jeopardy.
At the moment, the Dr. Tanis AI has no ability to address emergency situations.
Should it? In other words, should Dr. Tanis have the power to alert emergency medical
personnel if a patient is complaining of worsening symptoms, even if it’s a false
alarm? What are the ethical implications of giving Dr. Tanis this responsibility? Be
sure to explain your reasoning using what you learned in the course.
8. It’s inevitable that Dr. Tanis will prescribe the wrong treatment on occasion, no matter
how accurate it is. In some cases, this mistake can put the patient’s health in jeopardy.
At the moment, the Dr. Tanis AI has no ability to address emergency situations.
Should it? In other words, should Dr. Tanis have the power to alert emergency medical
personnel if a patient is complaining of worsening symptoms, even if it’s a false
alarm? What are the ethical implications of giving Dr. Tanis this responsibility? Be
sure to explain your reasoning using what you learned in the course.
9. Although it has a high degree of skill in its diagnoses, the decisions made by the Dr.
Tanis AI are not always easy to understand. Even a machine learning practitioner has
trouble explaining how Dr. Tanis correctly or incorrectly diagnosed an illness. There
may be ways to make the system more explainable, but this could negatively impact
its performance. Why is explainability important to an AI system? How might you
 reconcile the conflict between performance and explainability? Be sure to explain your
reasoning using what you learned in the course.
10. Given all of what you learned about GCPG and Dr. Tanis from the scenario and the
previous questions, what ethical principles do you believe are of greatest concern to
GCPG in the development and operation of Dr. Tanis? Why are these principles
relevant and important?