Question

Special Circumstances as Related to Health Informatics:

• End-of-Life Decisions
• Genetic Information
• Adoption Information
• Substance Abuse
• Behavioral/Mental Health
• Sexual Information

The objectives to be addressed:

1. Assess ethical dilemmas created by the use of health information technologies as related to the special circumstances listed above.
2. Evaluate professional responsibilities for the ethical use of health informatics technology
3. Justify the need for policy and regulation for the use of health informatics in the above special circumstances
4. Assess the benefits and risks of digital health technologies for consumers, patients, and caregivers as related to research and accessibility
5. Critique key issues and ethical challenges that influence the interactions between health information professionals and the secondary use of information gathered

Answer 1

END OF LIFE MAKING: The END OF LIFE decision making is a hard one and usually takes place in the acute care setting. whether to start the acute care procedure or to discontinue it, often needed when there is an emergency procedure to be done i.e) while cardiac arrest, giving tracheostomy care or while giving CPR procedure the decision making both for the health care professional as well as the family members. From the health care professional perspective, they feel as removing all the hope from there side, EOL decision making has to be taken to reduce the suffering for the patient or when the patient cannot tolerate the treatment. It will also lead to the losing hope and the trust from the family side and patient is at risk of losing their lives. The ethical challenge is faced when there is lack of information or the professional clarity among the health care members, The EOL decision taken primarily by the physician who proceeds with the DNR order (Do not resuscitate) and its the physician who finds the diagnosis and provide treatment and making EOL decision and talking to family member, later the family members take the very hard decision

Eg) When a patient X is brought to health care with difficulty breathing and after bringing to ER the physician finds out the patient X cannot tolerate the procedure anymore and finds unresponsive to the treatment in that stage physician takes a decision whether to continue the procedure or to stop by asking the family member. Its a hard time for both the family and health professionals.  

GENETIC INFORMATION: Genetic information is the information that one deserves the right of taking genetic testing and genetic counseling and research and knowing the risk factors associated with the family genetic history and protecting themselves, The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 provides security to an individual in insurance and employment as well deserve the right to carry the genetic history of the family for risk-reducing factors. In insurance, it provides the individual protection enrollees from discrimination and genetic information may not affecting the individual eligibility of getting insured and in the employment setting the employer does not deserve the right to firing hiring promotion pay or job assignment based on genetic information.

ADOPTION INFORMATION: Adoption is of two types open-end adoption and closed-end adoption in open-end adoption the birth family as the adopted family have little or good communication with each other in such case the child is aware of adoption process, While in closed-end adoption the birth family and the adopted parent has to contact with each other and maintain privacy.

Agency adoption: Agency adoption one can adopt through the agency that is licensed and a person can choose the child feels right for them with properly screened families.

Independent adoption: The independent adoption take place through lawyers adoption attorneys as well as seeking local agency counseling is good.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE: Substance abuse is alcohol abuse or other legal or illegal substance abuse when one consumes more than the desired level which leads to the problems in personal as well as health-related issues or serious alcohol disorder that affect the person even genetically. substance abuse should be noted earlier and the proper method of Deaddiction or the counseling or other related therapies should be given.

BEHAVIORAL AND MENTAL HEALTH; Behavioral and mental health are many and individual face common form of depression in the everyday part of life, Mental health disorder should be sorted out earlier with the right treatment to prevent the complication.

SEXUAL INFORMATION: Human sexual practice the individual deserves the right to perform the sexual activity to make their own chose.