NURS 8210 Week 5 Assignment 1: Meaningful Use Paper
NURS 8210 Week 5 Assignment 1: Meaningful Use Paper
Nursing and Health Informatics Ethics and the Law
Why are many health care organizations hesitant to adopt electronic health records (EHR) when they have the potential to improve quality, increase access, and reduce costs? Some organizations are concerned with the ethical and legal issues that may arise in daily operations. In 2010, legislators noticed health care’s reluctant transition into full EHR integration, and began to provide financial incentives to those organizations that not only adopt EHRs, but also use them meaningfully to improve quality of patient care. As an advanced practice nurse, it is important to be aware of the challenges, policies, and incentives associated with integrating EHR systems. It is also critical that you understand the concept of “meaningful use” and how it plays out in today’s health care organizations.
To prepare for NURS 8210 Week 5 Assignment 1: Meaningful Use Paper:
In this Application Assignment, you analyze meaningful use criteria to determine the authentic legal, financial, and ethical issues that may surround it.
- Reflect on the information presented in the Learning Resources, focusing on meaningful use legislation and the “Ethics in Nursing Informatics” section of your course text.
- Investigate the legal, financial, and ethical issues surrounding meaningful use.
- Ask yourself: What are the goals of meaningful use?
By Day 7 of Week 6 of Application 2: Meaningful Use Paper
Write a 4- to 5-page essay in which you:
- Summarize the legal, financial, and ethical issues that may arise as a result of meaningful use legislation.
- Explain how these issues might present barriers to successful implementation within an organization.
- Discuss ways that health care organizations can make the most of their electronic health record investments in light of meaningful use.
- Explain how EHR-related meaningful use legislation is being implemented in your organization.
NURS 8210 Week 5: Nursing and Health Informatics Ethics and the Law
Even the most technologically adept organizations are susceptible to security breaches. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is an industry leader, known for both its Telehealth system and electronic health records (EHR). As a government entity, the VA has publicly reported unintended security failures. To date, the VA has categorized the following breaches: lost and stolen laptops, employee errors in information sharing, e-mails to the wrong account holders, hackers breaking into databases, and even acts of malicious employees. Despite the VA and other health care organizations’ preventive measures, ethical and legal breaches still pose a very real danger to patients.
This week introduces the need for constant diligence when working with patient information. Through this lens, you examine the ethical codes and laws that govern today’s use of health information technologies.
Learning Objectives for NURS 8210 Week 5 Assignment 1: Meaningful Use Paper
Students will:
- Analyze an ethical issue related to HIT that has the potential to create a liability
- Formulate strategies for addressing ethical use of health information technology systems
- Summarize the legal, financial, and ethical issues that may arise as a result of meaningful use legislation
Photo Credit: [verbaska_studio]/[iStock / Getty Images Plus]/Getty Images
Learning Resources
Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.
Required Readings for Application 2: Meaningful Use Paper
Course Text: American Nurses Association. (2008). Nursing informatics: Scope and standards of practice. Silver Spring, MD: Author.
- “Ethics in Nursing Informatics” (p. 49-52)
This page of the text introduces three common ethical codes used in health care today.
Croll, P. (2010). Privacy, security and access with sensitive health information. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 151, 167-175.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
The author proposes a model for controlling the security of health information networks and systems.
Hjort, B. (2007). AHIMA report addresses evolving role of health care privacy and security officers. Journal of Health Care Compliance, 9(3), 47-68.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
This article identifies the challenges and responsibilities of health care workers employed in privacy and security positions.
Layman, E. J. (2008). Ethical issues and the electronic health record. The Health Care Manager, 27(2), 165-176.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
The findings within this article provide recommendations for health personnel, leaders, and policy makers when attempting to design ethically sound electronic health records.
Mackenzie, G., & Carter, H. (2010). Medico legal issues. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 151, 176-182.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Within this article, the authors provide an overview of the legal issues, precautions, and potential breaches that surround the privacy and security of electronic patient records
O’Keefe-McCarthy, S. (2009). Technologically-mediated nursing care: The impact on moral agency. Nursing Ethics, 16(6), 786-796.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Examine technology’s ability to negatively affect the patient/nurse relationship as decisions are based more on data and less on emotional and pedagogical reasoning by referencing the material found in this article.
Withrow, S. C. (2010). How to avoid a HIPAA horror story. Healthcare Financial Management, 64(8), 82-88.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
The HIPAA horror story that is detailed here underlines the importance of adopting HIPAA privacy and security provisions in efforts to reduce potential violations and financial threats.
California HealthCare Foundation. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.chcf.org/
The California HealthCare Foundation outlines quality reform plans that improve efficiency and reduce cost for California’s patients.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2010). CMS EHR meaningful use overview. https://www.cms.gov/EHRIncentivePrograms/30_Meaningful_Use.asp
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines the term meaningful use and also its view of meaningful use criteria, requirements, and financial impact.
American Nurses Association. (2011). Ethics and human rights. Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing-excellence/ethics/
See this website to view position statement documents developed by the ANA to promote adherence to ethics and human rights.
Healthcare Information and Management Systems. (2011). Privacy & security toolkit. Retrieved from http://www.himss.org/ASP/topics_pstoolkit.asp
At this website you will find a categorized tool kit that consists of implementation plans, legislation, and case studies to help health care professionals better understand matters of privacy and security.
The American Medical Informatics Association. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.amia.org/about-amia/ethics
At this website you will find a American Medical Informatics Code of Ethics for Healthcare Professionals.
Required Media for NURS 8210 Week 5 Assignment 1: Meaningful Use Paper
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Transforming nursing and healthcare through technology: Healthcare informatics: Ethics and law. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 10 minutes.
In this week’s media presentation, Dr. Don Detmer gives his insights on the government’s initiatives to create secure and meaningful electronic health records.
Accessible player –Downloads– Download Video w/CC Download Audio Download Transcript
Grading Criteria
| NURS8210 Grading Rubric | |||
| Week 6 Application 2: Meaningful Use Paper | Points Possible | Points Earned | |
| You summarized the legal, financial, and ethical issues that may arise because of meaningful use legislation. | 4 | ||
| You explained how these issues might present barriers to successful implementation within an organization. | 4 | ||
| You discussed ways that health care organizations can make the most of their electronic health record investments in light of meaningful use. | 4 | ||
| You explained how EHR-related meaningful use legislation is being implemented in your organization. | 3 | ||
| Spelling, grammar and APA | |||
| Note: Points may be deducted for grammar, spelling, and/or APA errors. | |||
| Points | 15 | ||
| Comments: | |||