Informatics in Healthcare: Investigating Professional, Ethical, and Legal Principles

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to investigate informatics in healthcare and to apply professional, ethical, and legal principles to its appropriate use in healthcare technology.

Course outcomes: This assignment enables the student to meet the following course outcomes:

Investigate safeguards and decision?making support tools embedded in patient care technologies and information systems to support a safe practice environment for both patients and healthcare workers.

Discuss the principles of data integrity, professional ethics, and legal requirements related to data security, regulatory requirements, confidentiality, and client’s right to privacy.

Discuss the value of best evidence as a driving force to institute change in the delivery of nursing care. Due date: Your faculty member will inform you when this assignment is due. The Late Assignment Policy applies to this assignment.

• Research, compose, and type a scholarly paper based on the scenario provided by your faculty, and choose a conclusion scenario to discuss within the body of your paper. Reflect on lessons learned in this class about technology, privacy concerns, and legal and ethical issues and address each of these concepts in the paper.

The consequences of such a scenario. Do not limit your review of the literature to the nursing discipline only because other health professionals are using the technology, and you may need to apply critical thinking skills to its applications in this scenario.

• Use Microsoft Word and APA formatting. Consult your copy of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, as well as the resources in Doc Sharing if you have questions (e.g., margin size, font type and size (point), use of third person, etc.). Take advantage of the writing service SmartThinking, which is accessed by clicking on the link called the Tutor Source, found under the Course Home area.

• The length of the paper should be four to five pages, excluding the title page and the reference page. Limit the references to a few key sources (minimum of three required).

• The paper will contain an introduction that catches the attention of the reader, states the purpose of the paper, and provides a narrative outline of what will follow (i.e., the assignment criteria).

• In the body of the paper, discuss the scenario in relation to HIPAA, legal, and other regulatory requirements that apply to the scenario and the ending you chose. Demonstrate support from sources of evidence (references) included as in?text citations.

Course outcomes

• Choose and identify one of the possible endings provided for the scenario, and construct your paper based on its implications to the scenario. Make recommendations about what should have been done and what could be done to correct or mitigate the problems caused by the scenario and the ending you chose. Demonstrate support from sources of evidence (references) included as in?text citations.

• Present the advantages and disadvantages of informatics relating to your scenario and describe professional and ethical principles appropriate to your chosen ending. Use facts from supporting sources of evidence, which must be included as in?text citations.

• The paper’s conclusion should summarize what you learned and make reflections about them to your practice.

• Use the “Directions and Assignment Criteria” and “Grading Rubric” below to guide your writing and ensure that all components are complete.

• Review the section on Academic Honesty found in the Chamberlain Course Policies. All work must be original (in your own words). Papers will automatically be submitted to TurnItIn when submitted to the Dropbox.

• Submit the completed paper to the “We Can But Dare We?” Dropbox by the end of Week 3. Please refer to the Syllabus for due dates for this assignment. For online students, please post questions about this assignment to the weekly Q & A Forums so that the entire class may view the answers.

Healthcare is readily embracing any technology to improve patient outcomes, streamline operations, and lower costs, but we must also consider the impact of such technology on privacy and patient care. Your faculty member will provide a scenario for you to address in your paper. Choose an ending to the scenario, and construct your paper based on those reflections. Choose one of the following outcomes:

1. A HIPAA violation occurs, and client data is exposed to the media.

2. A medication error has harmed a client.

3. A technology downtime that impacts patient care occurs, and an error is made.

4. A ransomware attack has occurred, and the organization must contemplate paying the ransom or lose access to patient data.

Follow these guidelines when completing this assignment. Speak with your faculty member if you have questions. Include the following sections:

a. Introduction - 40 points/17%

• Catches attention of the reader

• States purpose of the paper

• Provides a narrative outline of the paper (i.e., the assignment criteria)

b. HIPAA, Legal, and Regulatory Discussion - 40 points/17%

• Presents evidence from recent scholarly publications to address the impact of technology on nursing care related to:

• Patient privacy and HIPAA standards

• Healthcare regulations

• Legal guidelines on appropriate use of technology

c. Scenario Ending and Recommendations - 50 points/21%

• Selects and presents one scenario ending as the focus of the assignment.

• Evaluates the actions taken by healthcare providers as the situation evolved.

• Recommends actions that could have been taken to mitigate the circumstances presented in the selected scenario ending.

• Supports recommendations with evidence from recent scholarly publications.

d. Advantages and Disadvantages - 50 points/21%

• Presents evidence from recent scholarly publications to address the impact of technology on nursing care related to:

• The advantages of appropriately using technology in healthcare

• Risks of technology use in healthcare

• Describes professional and ethical principles guiding the appropriate use of technology in healthcare.

e. Conclusion and Reflections - 30 points/12%

• Summarizes what new information was learned by completing this assignment.

• Reflects on how this new knowledge will impact future behavior as a healthcare professional.

f. Scholarly Writing and APA Format - 30 points/12%

• Paper submitted as a Microsoft Word document.

• Adheres to current APA formatting guidelines including proper use of:

• Title page

• Running head

• Page numbers

• Length is 4-5 pages, excluding title and reference pages.

• Includes at least three (3) references that are:

• From recent (within the last 5 years) scholarly sources

• Cited in text appropriately

• Included on an APA formatted reference page

• Scholarly writing reflects:

• Accurate spelling

• Correct use of professional grammar

• Logical organization of thoughts (mechanics)