Final answer:
Not all information should be stored in a PHR, especially that which could violate privacy laws like HIPAA and GINA. Medical records of government employees are a reasonable exception under the Freedom of Information Act. Policies must balance treatment costs, patient quality of life, and privacy risks.
Step-by-step explanation:
When it comes to personal health records (PHR), not all types of information should be stored due to various legal and privacy considerations. Information that should not be included in a PHR primarily relates to the protection of individual privacy rights under laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). Both of these laws aim to prevent the unauthorized release of confidential health information and protect individuals from discrimination based on their genetic information.
Medical records for government employees, for instance, can be considered a reasonable exception under the Freedom of Information Act due to the sensitive nature of this information. Healthcare providers, insurance companies, and other businesses that deal with health information are required to maintain strict confidentiality and may face legal consequences if they fail to do so.
Additionally, policies need to balance the costs of treatments and diagnoses, patient quality of life, and risks to individual privacy. Questions that could be posed when developing these policies include the extent to which patient information can be shared, how to ensure the security of health data, and the circumstances under which certain information may be disclosed, if any.