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Ethical Challenges in e-Healthcare
Last modified: 2011-09-08
Abstract
In today’s world, every business is turning to technology to reach out to customers and business associates to sell products or services and do business. Healthcare is no exception. It is an industry which has adopted technology to diagnose and treat patients. However, healthcare has been a reluctant adopter of technology in administration and management areas. Research shows that the new healthcare law, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed by the United States Congress and signed by the President Mr. Barack Obama in March of 2010, mandates adoption of Electronic Health Record (EHR) and ability for patients to have electronic access to their record and ability to communicate with their physicians. Such provisions are without a doubt good for the healthcare industry and patients, but have inadvertent ethical consequences when a patient’s health information is stored and accessed electronically.