Summary Report on Rural Health Care & Affordable Solutions
Despite financial constraints, residents of rural regions should have access to high-quality medical treatment within their means. Roughly 25 percent of the United States’ total population, or 61 million people, reside in rural regions (Anderson & Singh, 2021). Compared to metropolitan regions, rural areas suffer from fewer people being aware of and educated about health issues, fewer people having access to reliable transportation, more people living in poverty, a larger proportion of the elderly, and fewer people having access to adequate health care. The prevalence of diabetes in the United States is greater in rural regions by 16%. Diagnosis rates for cancer patients in the United States are significantly lower than in other developed countries. Their colon cancer mortality rate is 9-16% higher because they have a harder time getting to treatment centers (Anderson & Singh, 2021).
Case Scenario
Diabetes is a condition identified in Stella; a patient who is 45 years old. She went to the hospital for a physical examination around two weeks ago. She goes through a yearly checkup that is thorough. The electronic health record (EHR) and telehealth systems are experiencing technical difficulties. She cannot fall asleep because she cannot be drawn in any direction by anything. Because of these unfortunate events, she will be late for her arranged meeting. A few days later, she called the institution and found that her information had been erased from the hospital’s database due to a security breach. She obtained this information after calling the facility.
This paper aims to recognize a community and its requirements by recognizing cultural competencies and legal challenges unique to Stella and then to offer technology-based outreach tactics to meet those needs. Now is the time to implement solutions that will remove obstacles to providing healthcare to people in rural areas. Telehealth, coupled with the right training and education to assure its efficacy and not breach their information, is the technique that will assist in delivering both economical and easily accessible care.
NURS FPX 6616 Assessment 2 Summary Report on Rural Health Care and Affordable Solutions
Population & Community Needs
This study will focus on the United States population. Due to their restricted access to healthcare and information, individuals often have delayed diagnoses of potentially fatal conditions, including cancer and diabetes. Affordable and easily accessible health care is a necessity for them. With this telehealth strategy in place, they will have access to healthcare services from a distance, improving their quality of life and enabling them to control their condition better. Moreover, while telehealth saves an average of $34 per patient, it will not be expensive (Haleem et al., 2021).
When working with patients who live in rural locations, the healthcare teams need to reflect a diverse patient population. They need to ensure that they speak effectively in the language the patients comprehend d the most. Because of the language barrier, it may be difficult for patients to communicate openly about their feelings. There should be cultural awareness, and experts should have a solid comprehension of diverse religions and civilizations. It is imperative that cultural competence be present to break down barriers, which will then lead to lower costs, more patient safety, and fewer inefficiencies (Gerchow et al., 2020).
Analyzing Current Interprofessional Team Providers & Resources
All medical staff members have a legal responsibility to protect the privacy of their patient’s records. So, the relationship between the expert and the patient improves, and trust is established. A leak of this kind of sensitive information might seriously compromise patient safety. Maintaining patient privacy is important for several reasons, including ensuring their safety and maintaining public trust in the doctor-patient relationship (Keshta & Odeh, 2020). It is now generally accepted that secrecy is a major problem worldwide. As a result, there is widespread consensus on principles and suggestions to protect patients’ right to privacy while they undergo medical care. The Data Protection Act aims to safeguard private information by establishing guidelines for its use and storage. The foundation of health records’ legal components is confidentiality, a moral principle of quality treatment. More crucially, the ability of healthcare professionals to keep information private affects the quality of the information provided to them. Otherwise, the patient could conceal facts that might compromise the level of care provided (Keshta & Odeh, 2020).
The members of a patient’s healthcare team should talk to one another but only share information with those who need it to provide the best care possible. Still, it is too common for healthcare providers to reveal their patients’ names and other personal information to third parties who have no business seeing such details. If a doctor or nurse is careless, foolish, or malicious and discloses patient information, they break a trust essential to the doctor-patient relationship. Violating patients’ privacy rights and disclosing their information to third parties might harm their health. The standard treatment declines when patients and doctors lose trust in one another. Patients’ distrust of doctors makes them hesitant to seek therapy and keep their follow-up appointments (Eastwood & Maitland-Scott, 2020).
Areas of Cultural Competency to be Addressed
The nurses must get education on providing culturally competent care. To ensure no language hurdles, the nurses should be able to communicate properly and work together (Kaihlanen et al., 2019).
Cultural Competence
Nurses’ awareness of one another’s cultures can enhance a supportive atmosphere. These tactics have moral and ethical impacts that encourage patients and enable them to be open. This cultural competency encourages patient privacy to not impose on the patient’s cultural views. Nurses must have a strong education in many cultures, faiths, and worldviews (Červený et al., 2022). Providers of nursing services must have the cultural competence to provide patients with the kind of cutting-edge care that improves their quality of life and allows them to be managed effectively. Community and healthcare providers can refer patients to qualified professionals who offer guidance on making positive lifestyle changes. Effective therapy necessitates confidentiality, individualization, and sensitivity to cultural norms and variances. Instructors must train nurses to treat patients with respect for their cultural backgrounds. Any linguistic barriers should not stop the carers from communicating and cooperating well. During implementation, it is usually necessary to consider crucial environmental elements affecting treatment recipients and interventionists (Liu et al., 2022).
Technology-Based Outreach Strategies
Stella’s patient health information (PHI) is broadly defined under HIPAA as any health information communicated or stored electronically. It is also crucial to be aware that PHI is not just limited to spoken exchanges of individually identifiable health information; it can also be sent electronically (Grispos et al., 2021). For instance, a HIPAA violation may occur if a surgical resident discusses a surgical technique in front of a crowded elevator. The bulk of medical records kept by hospitals and clinics that provide healthcare fall within the definition of PHI, and some of these records are:
- Admissions criteria
- Billing history
- Patient information
- Records of prescriptions
- Consultations
- Appointments for discharge and aftercare
Therefore, all medical facilities and clinics must meet HIPAA security and privacy requirements (Grispos et al., 2021).
The confidentiality and safety of patient’s health records should be a top priority for everyone in the healthcare industry. This is truer than ever in today’s rapidly evolving information technologies. Historically, healthcare providers have collected patient data for research while concealing individuals’ identities. Suppose a study requires the use of protected health information (PHI) that may be used to identify a patient or a patient’s close relatives, friends, coworkers, or neighbors. This practice is no longer permissible and must be redacted (Tariq & Hackert, 2019).
NURS FPX 6616 Assessment 2 Summary Report on Rural Health Care and Affordable Solutions
Maintaining the Privacy and Integrity of Individual Patients’ Health Records
The HIPAA law ensures the privacy of patients’ health records (HIPAA). Law has two parts:
- The privacy rule limits the use and sharing of health information, while the security rule specifies federal criteria for securing digitally protected health information (Edemekong & Haydel, 2019).
- Privacy regulation has different parts. Data about a person’s past, present, or projected physical or mental health or condition. As well as data on the provision or payment of medical care are examples of the types of identifiers that fall under this category (Edemekong & Haydel, 2019).
Three facets of patient care were included when HIPAA was enacted:
- Insurance Portability Accountability and the Enforcement of Fraud Laws ensure that individuals with health insurance can move to a new place of employment without having their coverage discontinued.
- Administrative operations in the medical industry and other fields should be simplified because records are electronically sent.
- Technological improvements allow androids and wearable gadgets to leak PHI (Edemekong & Hayden, 2019).
Patient Health Information (PHI)
According to HIPAA laws, any health information transmitted or kept electronically qualifies as PHI. It is also essential to realize that (PHI) encompasses written and spoken patient data transmissions. When it comes to hospitals and clinics, most of the retained documents are considered protected health information (PHI) (Isola & Al Khalili, 2020).
- Admissions Criteria
- Billing history
- Patient information
- Records of prescriptions
- Referrals
- Appointments for discharge and aftercare
Possible Legal Issues
The HIPAA privacy legislation applies to nearly every hospital or medical facility component. Protected health information (PHI) must always be private at work or home. Any healthcare provider should give only the minimum quantity of health information, including HR or connected services. When a pharmacist is ready to offer a patient medicine, they should inquire if they understand how to take it and follow up with their doctor. It is not permissible to have a lengthy conversation with the patient before other persons (Chuma & Ngoepe, 2021).
This regulation applies to any healthcare worker communicating with a patient-care worker. A radiologist may, for example, inquire of the ordering medical resident as to why the test is being performed on the patient and whether or not it is the most appropriate course of action. However, the radiologist cannot discuss this with anybody not involved in the patient’s care. In all such situations, it is imperative that the doctor first determine whether or not the patient is willing to accept the disclosure of their medical information to other parties by obtaining the patient’s consent. This rule covers text, audio, and video recordings (Solimini et al., 2021).
There must be legal concerns to ensure the patient is not harmed when employing telehealth. The main worry with telemedicine is data breaches and patient confidentiality. Nurses and IT should work together to prevent security breaches that might have several effects (Solimini et al., 2021). If telehealth policies are not adhered to, it may result in criminal prosecution and other repercussions. Before recording or not storing any patient data, there should be consent. Increasing awareness and educating the public will help telemedicine be utilized more morally (Gajarawala & Pelkowski, 2020).
Continuation of Ethical Care in the System
In general, technological advancements have not been accompanied by respect for secrecy. Despite efforts to protect secrecy, there are situations when a breach is inevitable but not always immoral. Health workers are aware of confidentiality but unsure how to prevent and commit many breaches. We offer a rough draft of an ethical code of conduct for clinical settings that outlines how confidentiality should be maintained and when it is acceptable to violate it. The three factors above of maintaining patient privacy in a healthcare setting, management concerns, organizational ethics, and the doctor-patient relationship are all included in this draught (Elhoseny et al., 2021).
In light of this, all healthcare professionals should safeguard patient information, whether it is stored in paper or digital health records. All healthcare practitioners should recognize the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which the United States of America passed in 1996 and which protects patient information. The HIPAA also includes record storage, inspection rules, and additional measures to avoid data abuse (CDC, 2018).
In general, the absoluteness of secrecy is questioned anytime there are worries regarding the safety of a third party or public health. Unless otherwise stated in relevant normative standards, sharing of patient data should only occur with their consent in modern medicine. Some exceptions to complete confidentiality without patients’ agreement are listed in this draught (Varkey, 2021). Confidentiality may be violated in the following circumstances:
1) In response to a legally valid request
2) When doing so is in the patient’s best interest
3) When preserving society’s welfare
4) When doing so is essential to protect the third party from serious injury or threat.
The continuation of care in telehealth is a moral activity and should be considered ethically when carrying out any practice. There needs to be consideration of patient confidentiality and security in telehealth. When nurses are educated on the compliance of different policies to ensure that there can be a continuation of ethical care in the system, there should be transparency, and competent care must be provided. Without consent, no information should be disclosed online or to other professionals outside of work. The staff members should recognize any risk points in the system where a breach could occur so they can collaborate with IT experts (Keenan et al., 2020).
NURS FPX 6616 Assessment 2 Summary Report on Rural Health Care and Affordable Solutions
Conclusion
In conclusion, the study showed that although health professionals have a generally positive understanding of patient confidentiality, their attitudes toward it are restricted. The sex of the respondents, training in medical ethics, and the numerous ethical conundrums they encountered were all strongly correlated determinants of health professionals’ awareness of patient confidentiality. Similarly, medical ethics training, direct patient contact, patient visits, and the number of ethical difficulties encountered all played a substantial role in how health professionals felt about patient confidentiality. Continuous medical ethics training before and during employment may help health practitioners appreciate and respect patient confidentiality.
References
Anderson, J., & Singh, J. (2021). A case study of using telehealth in a rural healthcare facility to expand services and protect the health and safety of patients and staff. Healthcare, 9(6), 736.
https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9060736
CDC. (2018). Health insurance portability and accountability act of 1996 (HIPAA). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/phlp/publications/topic/hipaa.html
Červený, M., Kratochvílová, I., Hellerová, V., & Tóthová, V. (2022). Methods of increasing cultural competence in nurses working in clinical practice: A scoping review of literature 2011–2021. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.936181
Chuma, K. G., & Ngoepe, M. (2021). Security of electronic personal health information in a public hospital in South Africa. Information Security Journal: A Global Perspective, 1–17.
https://doi.org/10.1080/19393555.2021.1893410
Eastwood, J., & Maitland-Scott, I. (2020). Patient privacy and integrated care: The multidisciplinary health care team. International Journal of Integrated Care, 20(4). https://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.5591
Edemekong, P. F., & Haydel, M. J. (2019). Health insurance portability and accountability act (HIPAA). Nih.gov; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500019/
Elhoseny, M., Thilakarathne, N. N., Alghamdi, M. I., Mahendran, R. K., Gardezi, A. A., Weerasinghe, H., & Welhenge, A. (2021). Security and privacy issues in medical internet of things: Overview, countermeasures, challenges and future directions. Sustainability, 13(21), 11645.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111645
Gajarawala, S., & Pelkowski, J. (2020). Telehealth benefits and barriers. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 17(2), 218–221.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.09.013
Gerchow, L., Burka, L. R., Miner, S., & Squires, A. (2020). Language barriers between nurses and patients: A scoping review. Patient Education and Counseling, 104(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2020.09.017
Grispos, G., Flynn, T., Glisson, W. B., & Choo, K.-K. R. (2021). Investigating protected health information leakage from android medical applications. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, 311–322.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78459-1_23
Haleem, A., Javaid, M., Singh, R. P., & Suman, R. (2021). Telemedicine for healthcare: Capabilities, features, barriers, and applications. Sensors International, 2(2), 100117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sintl.2021.100117
Isola, S., & Al Khalili, Y. (2020). Protected Health Information. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553131/
Kaihlanen, A.-M., Hietapakka, L., & Heponiemi, T. (2019). Increasing cultural awareness: Qualitative study of nurses’ perceptions about cultural competence training. BMC Nursing, 18(1), 1–9.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-019-0363-x
Keenan, A. J., Tsourtos, G., & Tieman, J. (2020). The value of applying ethical principles in telehealth practices: a discussion paper (Preprint). Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(3).
Keshta, I., & Odeh, A. (2020). Security and privacy of electronic health records: Concerns and challenges. Egyptian Informatics Journal, 22(2), 177–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eij.2020.07.003
Liu, T.-T., Chen, M.-Y., Chang, Y.-M., & Lin, M.-H. (2022). A preliminary study on the cultural competence of nurse practitioners and its affecting factors. Healthcare, 10(4), 678.
https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10040678
Solimini, R., Busardò, F. P., Gibelli, F., Sirignano, A., & Ricci, G. (2021). Ethical and legal challenges of telemedicine in the era of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Medicina, 57(12), 1314.
https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina57121314
Tariq, R. A., & Hackert, P. B. (2019). Patient confidentiality. Nih.gov; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519540/
Varkey, B. (2021). Principles of clinical ethics and their application to practice. Medical Principles and Practice, 30(1), 17–28.