Ethics & the Ehighway

ETHICS AND THE EHIGHWAY

Our Mr. Potato(e) man, Al Gore, decided by streamlining healthcare on the internet, the speed and efficiency would save the government health care agencies anywhere from 7% to 30%. This would eliminate duplications and reduce errors. Therefore, Medicare, Medicaid, and all public health agencies were put online.

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) evolved to protect the patient from such a free-flowing of information. The individual is treated with autonomy in the decision-making process. Privacy is treated as sacred.

Also due to the advancement of information technology, CIPA was passed. This is the Children’s Information Protection Act which addresses the exposure to pornographic material to individuals under the age of 17. It mandates that libraries, public schools, or any public institution designated for children must have a filtering device to prevent access to pornographic material. The penalty is the loss of federal funds or support.

The problem is the filtering has to have the capability of being removed for adult viewing. The rights of the adult would be violated if prevented. Any perceptive child would then be able to also remove the filter. Another issue is the age limit of 17. It still leaves a rather young group from any protection.

In summary, in one arena, the individual is protecting health information from being viewed in cyberspace. This protects the patient from discriminatory issues such as HIV, addiction, and simply protects privacy. In another, it protects our children from viewing material inappropriate or being enticed into further interactions. The open access to information is worth that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But without harnesses placed on the right and wrong or the ethical use of this information, our pot of gold is a melting pot from Mother Theresa to Jeffrey Dahmer.