Some of the main ethical issues regarding storing electronic information include privacy and confidentiality, security breaches, and data inaccuracies.

One definition of privacy means “the right to be let alone”. Another definition means the right of “individuals to keep information about themselves disclosed from others”. In some organizations, information isn’t allowed to be retrieved by the owner due to age, disabilities, or no representation of a legal parent or guardian. This information is meant to be private and confidential which is of course a positive thing. However, the fact that the information and who it pertains to is hard to obtain or see by the owner is something we need to fix. People should be able to see their own information regardless of their own situation or social status.

Security breaches threatens owners information without the owner’s consent or authorization. At a university hospital, a woman by the named of Laurie Napper used her position in the hospital to obtain patients names, addresses, and medicare numbers in order to sell their information.  A contractor working with the hospital had downloaded the patient’s files onto a personal laptop, which was stolen from his car. The data were password protected, but unencrypted, which means anyone who guessed the password could have accessed the patient files without a randomly generated key. This is a big problem because people who work within a company have access to much information, in some cases though people with high access cannot be trusted.

System implementation is involved when any two systems are integrated, an interface is created. By the user interface, we mean an interface between the user and the computer system. These interfaces are critical to the overall success of the implementation process. Interface issues are the greatest system risk because these failures can be invisible initially. Lack of systemic consideration of users and tasks often results in poor user interface. Poorly designed user interface account for unintended adverse consequence leading to decreased time efficiency, poor quality of care and increased threat to patient safety.

Finally data inaccuracies, this can be due to lack of updated information. For example within a hospital a patients current condition must be updated or else doctors and nurses should be misinformed.