Administrative Ethics-HIPAA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Administrative Ethics-HIPAA - Essay Example The specifics of these objectives are highlighted under Title II and I respectively. Section one embodies the protection of health covers for workers and their families. This part is meant to ensure easy transfer of health insurance covers from an old employer to a new employer or at least guarantee the continuation of cover in the event of job loss. On the other hand, section II details administrative specifics under Administrative Simplification (AS) (Banks, 2006). The AS section dictates requirements in establishing nationwide standards, which define the manner in which healthcare transactions are conducted electronically. It also defines the specific identifiers for employers, insurance plans and healthcare providers. This section helps simplify administrative challenges emerging from requirements of portability. The AS section also addresses issues of privacy and security of patients’ information and records. Since its ambitious implementation, HIPAA has expanded its infl uence on to major health issues such as security, confidentiality, privacy and simplification (Banks, 2006). In a nutshell, HIPAA promises an effective and efficient mode of disseminating and sharing electronic information in the healthcare sector. The compliance deadline was 2003 and a slight extension for harmonization of some minor plans. Since 2003, the plan has gained widespread adherence by various players including health insurers, employer sponsored healthcare plans, healthcare service providers and clearing houses in the sector. In spite of its positive outlook and gains made, HIPAA still raises numerous challenges with regard to its implementation. This paper reviews one of the significant challenges in HIPAA’s implementation by highlighting a newspaper article covering the issue of disclosure. The article under highlight appeared in the New York Times on 3rd July, 2007. The piece of work by Jane Gross is titled â€Å"Keeping Patients’ Details Private, Even From Kin.† Disclosure Issues in HIPAA’s Implementation HIPAA dictates the rules of disclosure and non-disclosure for Protected Health Information (PHI). However, Gross (2007), indicates that a number of studies have shown that a number of healthcare providers are applying HIPAA inappropriately. These providers and practitioners under them apply the regulations overzealously by being excessively and unnecessarily prohibitive. These acts have left caretakers, family members, law enforcement officers and public health officers unable to access information that is essential for their operations and life. Gross’ article presents this challenge by citing various real-life situations in which family members have been barred from staying with their kin or assessing their treatment chart information while undergoing treatment. Gross cites Mr. Nussbaum’s case in which he was barred from staying with his father or checking his treatment chart as an example of misinte rpretation of the act (Gross, 2007). A similar case involving Ms. Banks saw her drive from Oklahoma to Tampa to get information about her mother because this could not be disclosed over the . On arrival, she had to spend another 24 hours before she could get the disclosure from the doctor involved, simply because the nurse feared going against HIPAA (Gross, 2007). These examples show the frustrations that family and other parties such as researchers have when seeking patient information. The bigger challenge is that while there are â€Å"good faith nondisclosures,† there are also numerous cases of â€Å"bad faith nondisclosures† that unnecessarily bar access to information. For example,

Allergic Asthma Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Allergic Asthma - Case Study Example In 2001, 73 people per 1000 were diagnosed to have chronic allergic asthma with the help of the medical professional; this is current prevalence of allergic asthma. What is more interesting to note, is that the prevalence of allergic asthma among minorities is disproportionably higher than among the native population. This may be explained by the social conditions, which often define the general state of health and immune system among patients from ethnic minorities. Asthma was also one of the leading diagnoses in the hospitalizations, and its morbidity was equal to 1.6 per 100,000 of the native population. Thus, accounting the noted information the importance and relevance of the present discussion is not under any doubt. (Adams, Smith & Ruffin, 2001) first of all, the process of diagnosis and its confirmation is clinical, and there are no blood tests, histopathological or radiographic investigations which can be performed to confirm the suggested asthma. Mrs. H addressed the doctor for medical assistance in 2004. ... sence of wheeze during these periods were the signs of the asthma, but for the reasons of her addressing the medical establishment with this problem for the first time, there had been no previous notes in relation to her state. She was 29, and she had used to have such health problems for about 10 years before, but with the exacerbations passing quickly and with long breaks she didn't see the reason for serious medication. Mrs H's family history stated that her both parents had chronic allergic rhinitis. Mrs H herself noted that tobacco smoke worsened her state, as well as dust inhaling; she had never smoked herself. Her social status was favorable, and her profession was accounting, thus she used to work with papers which could often be the sources of dust. She didn't have any signs of breath difficulties after use of aspirin or other medicines. Wheeze was episodic but was becoming more frequent. It is useful to remember, that the symptoms of allergic asthma may sometimes be mixed with the other symptoms, which may make the diagnosis doubtful or wrong; if the patient has difficulties in breathing without wheeze, fixed wheeze, or mentions the weight loss, the chest X-ray is recommended for the determining of the exact diagnosis, which in such case may be either COPD, or tumor, bronchiectasis, etc. As for the family history in diagnosing allergic asthma, it is one of the most important risk factors to account when diagnosing any allergic diseases; 'asthma is linked to both parental and sibling history. The strongest association is with maternal atopy'. (British Thoracic Society, 1997) Diagnosis of asthma with the account of theoretical knowledge Bearing in mind that Mrs H didn't have any additional symptoms which could make the diagnosis doubtful, she was asked to