Describe four ethical issues that arise when storing electronic information about individuals.
As technology advances and evolves, it becomes easier to store people’s data using hard drives, cloud storage, etc. With these advancements, there are concerns about how it is stored and how safe their information is. For institutions that store data – especially hospitals – the line has to be drawn in that the institution may own the record while the people own the information in the record. Four major ethical issues found in storage of information like these includes: Confidentiality, Security Breaches, Data Inaccuracies, and System Implementation. Regarding confidentiality, individuals should have the right to keep their documents private, or more so being able to disclose their information without it being sent and sold to third parties. Since the information shared was done in a confidential interaction, the person or the law should be the one to allow consent in said information being disclosed. The security of the institution keeping records of people are also a concern since any data security breach could exploit hundreds, if not thousands or even millions of customers, patients, etc. When confidential information is disclosed to third parties, a plethora of other cybercrime is apt to take place when put in such a situation. With data inaccuracies, mistakes can always be made if it is recorded by hand. With the technologies that we have today, the integrity of the customer or person should be upheld. This can easily be done if institutions implement authentication practices in order to prevent the lost of sensitive data, money, and other items. Lastly, a big concern with keeping information on people has to do with each system’s implementation. Customers and people need a user-friendly interface when dealing with systems that store their information. A lack of this consideration can lead to loss of clientele, and loss of trust. Users should be able to find their information relatively easily as a result of explanation and direction on every home page. This helps to positively impact the quality of patient safety and prevents financial loss.