Ebook: Ethics and Information Technology

Ethics and Information Technology: A Case-Based Approach to a Health Care System in Transition is an indispensable volume focused on the impact of technology as it transforms the delivery of health care. It features 130 case studies illustrating ethical and social issues arising from the increasing use of computers in medicine, psychology, and pharmacy. These thought-provoking cases are an impetus for discussion and are designed to illustrate how thoughtful individuals identify issues and approach such problems. In light of the rapid development of health informatics, the book addresses the array of challenges faced by clinicians, academics, and system developers, such as threats to privacy and confidentiality, misuse of clinical and genetic information, risks to patients of bias and discrimination, erosion of the practitioner-patient relationship, threats to the autonomy of health professionals, and compromises to the quality of care. The book features seven appendices detailing ethical standards for Web sites, identifying consumer privacy protection guidelines, assessing the quality of Internet health information, and more. In addition to the case studies presented, the book includes challenging questions intended to promote discussion of social and ethical issues raised by the use of computers in health care.