HME711 - Health Law and Ethics

Running head: PRIVACY IN HEATHCARE
Privacy
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1PRIVACY IN HEATHCARE
The Issue
One of the primary issues which come up in relation to heathcare services is related to
privacy. Various patients use the healthcare services to get treated for any disease which have
affected them. As they use the services it is normal for them to provide the service providers
with information which is not available otherwise. This information may be in relation to
their personal details or about their health information. In Australia, the law provides
protection to such information to ensure that it is not misused. Section 6 of the Privacy Act
(Cth) 1988 specifically provides rules of how to deal with such data. The legislation also
includes in its scope provisions for sensitive information which the services providers may
gain access to when dealing with the patients.
Specific rules have also been provided by state
legislation with respect to the way in which
personal information is to be collected, stored
and disclosed. All individuals who are involved
in providing health care services must known
that they have to comply with all laws
concerning privacy to avoid legal consequences. In case these laws are not followed
diligently it may have disastrous effects on both the service provider and receiver (Campbell
2018).
Why is the information protected?
Right to privacy can be stated as a fundamental right of the citizens. Any information
which may make them vulnerable has to be treated with utmost care. This information may
be required for the service providers to ensure that the services are provided appropriately.
However if such information goes to wrong hand it may create significant problems for the

2PRIVACY IN HEATHCARE
clients. They may be harassed with
unsolicited selling or even worse someone
can use the information to cause them a
more serious harm. Thus there is a clear
requirement that confidential information
is kept private.
The legal meaning of privacy
Privacy has been defined by Hasan et al. (2018) as a right possessed by individuals to have
control over any information which is related to them. It is upon them to decide whether they
want to disclose the information to any other person or not. However there are certain
information may be required to be provided under legal provisions for the safety and
protection of the society. The concept of privacy is not the same as that of confidentiality.
Privacy may also extend to the environment, communication and physical selves of a person
(Iyengar, Kundu and Pallis 2018). However, when it comes to confidentiality, it is a concept
which every medical practitioner is aware of. This means that every individual has the right
to autonomy. If there is no confidentiality within the system, the service uses will not be
confident about providing relevant information to the service providers. They will be scared
about the fact that their information may be revealed to the public which in turn may result in
significant harm for them and their families. In relation to heath care privacy means that what
have been told by the patients to the service
providers, what has been written down or
any medication along with personal
information is kept private. The health
information can only be shared with the