Scholarly record

GLOBAL INFORMATION SOCIETY AND THE RIGHT FOR PRIVACY IN HEALTH CARE

O. Sovova, M. Sova

Abstract

The paper reviews and critically compares current trends in information management and global information society in healthcare. In healthcare, the issue of transitioning to an information society is closely linked with protection of personality of the patient and with safety of health care provision. Entry of information technologies into this area enables sharing and rationalising patient care and spreading of highly innovative technologies; however, is also connected with risks to the right for privacy and duty of confidentiality. The paper discusses advantages of information technologies and their large impact onto the area of responsibility of providing health care. The paper points out the necessity of observing the right for privacy, confidentiality and due medical care during electronic communication. Social networks help bridging information gaps between a physician and a patient when legal and ethical rules are observed. The paper highlights current issues, benefits and risks of Health 2.0 social media tools for patients and medical professionals through critical overview of the development of social networks. The paper identifies the differences between the American and European approach to personally identifiable information posted onto social media. The Czech National Strategy of E-Health Care is analysed as an example. The paper concludes that new relations to technologies form an inevitable and fundamental sign of a post-industrial society, but medical professionalism together with the duty of confidentiality and patients’ right for privacy together with appropriate legal regulation should guarantee that technologies be used solely for providing adequate health care. Resources of global information society open doors to respect to the patient’s autonomy and to increased transparency of health care costs and amplified respect to the patient’s autonomy.

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