Background: With the rapid informatization of the medical environment, there is an increasing possibility of patients’ privacy being infringed by medical information exposed the outside and this issue is developing into a crucial social problem. In Korea, however, people’s interest in the issue is l...
Background: With the rapid informatization of the medical environment, there is an increasing possibility of patients’ privacy being infringed by medical information exposed the outside and this issue is developing into a crucial social problem. In Korea, however, people’s interest in the issue is low although medical information is more likely to be disclosed to the outside. Thus, we need to research people’s awareness of this problem. Methodology: A preliminary survey was conducted with 10 patients, and doctors at a general hospital, followed by the main survey with 519 questionnaires distributed over three weeks from the 12th to the 30th of September 2005, of which 495 (95.4%) were recovered and used in analysis. Results: In all of the subject groups, the subjects generally replied that the infringement of individual privacy would increase with the informatization of hospitals. In addition, they showed that the concept of the right to privacy has changed from a passive right to an active right. With regard to the necessity of confidentiality when medical information is released, the necessity was recognized by 90.2% of doctors, 77.6% of nurses and medical technicians, and 74.1% of medical information personnel and students recognized. This suggests that doctors are highly concerned about the confidentiality of medical information. Many of the patients, medical information personnel and medical students replied that patients and their legal carers have the right to determine the disclosure of medical records, but doctors showed a low approval rate to this opinion. This suggests that different groups’ values and interests are complicatedly involved in social rights to medical records such as ownership, right to view and right to determine disclosure. While many of the students replied that the computerization of medical records improves confidentiality and safety, doctors tended to believe that computerized records are more vulnerable than paper records in terms of confidentiality and safety. This result shows that there are problems in the easily accessible medical record management system, although hospitals say that it is hardly possible for individual privacy to be infringed in hospital. To the question on concern over the infringement of privacy, the percentage of those who replied that patients’ personal information must not be used for any other purpose was highest in the patient group. Such a response by patients is contradictory to the view that patients are more permissive to the disclosure of medical information depending on the situation. Patients took a permissive position to the disclosure of information for public uses but a conservative position for other uses. Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that, with regard to the confidentiality of and rights to medical information that may have significant effects on individuals’ life, there are different traditional views as well as new views resulting from the progress of informatization among the involved parties and depending on the item of information. The present study is considered quite meaningful in that it has contributed to the awareness of the necessity and importance of medical record security and the protection of patients’ privacy. Keywords : infringement of privacy, information society, medical information protection, privacy
Background: With the rapid informatization of the medical environment, there is an increasing possibility of patients’ privacy being infringed by medical information exposed the outside and this issue is developing into a crucial social problem. In Korea, however, people’s interest in the issue is low although medical information is more likely to be disclosed to the outside. Thus, we need to research people’s awareness of this problem. Methodology: A preliminary survey was conducted with 10 patients, and doctors at a general hospital, followed by the main survey with 519 questionnaires distributed over three weeks from the 12th to the 30th of September 2005, of which 495 (95.4%) were recovered and used in analysis. Results: In all of the subject groups, the subjects generally replied that the infringement of individual privacy would increase with the informatization of hospitals. In addition, they showed that the concept of the right to privacy has changed from a passive right to an active right. With regard to the necessity of confidentiality when medical information is released, the necessity was recognized by 90.2% of doctors, 77.6% of nurses and medical technicians, and 74.1% of medical information personnel and students recognized. This suggests that doctors are highly concerned about the confidentiality of medical information. Many of the patients, medical information personnel and medical students replied that patients and their legal carers have the right to determine the disclosure of medical records, but doctors showed a low approval rate to this opinion. This suggests that different groups’ values and interests are complicatedly involved in social rights to medical records such as ownership, right to view and right to determine disclosure. While many of the students replied that the computerization of medical records improves confidentiality and safety, doctors tended to believe that computerized records are more vulnerable than paper records in terms of confidentiality and safety. This result shows that there are problems in the easily accessible medical record management system, although hospitals say that it is hardly possible for individual privacy to be infringed in hospital. To the question on concern over the infringement of privacy, the percentage of those who replied that patients’ personal information must not be used for any other purpose was highest in the patient group. Such a response by patients is contradictory to the view that patients are more permissive to the disclosure of medical information depending on the situation. Patients took a permissive position to the disclosure of information for public uses but a conservative position for other uses. Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that, with regard to the confidentiality of and rights to medical information that may have significant effects on individuals’ life, there are different traditional views as well as new views resulting from the progress of informatization among the involved parties and depending on the item of information. The present study is considered quite meaningful in that it has contributed to the awareness of the necessity and importance of medical record security and the protection of patients’ privacy. Keywords : infringement of privacy, information society, medical information protection, privacy
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