Final answer:
The ethical standard violated is confidentiality. This breach risks patient privacy and may contravene HIPAA regulations. Balancing patient privacy with public health requires careful ethical consideration and adherence to legal standards.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ethical standard violated in this scenario is b) Confidentiality. By sharing genetic information about specific patients with a life insurance company, the IT staff at the hospital has breached the trust that is fundamental to the patient-provider relationship and may have violated legal requirements set forth by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). In medical ethics, patient privacy rights are paramount, and unauthorized disclosure of personal health information is both unethical and illegal.
Regarding the dilemma between a patient's privacy and a sexual partner's right to know about potential risk to their health, ethical considerations involve both the patient's right to confidentiality and the protection of the partner's health. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets forth specific conditions under which patient information may be disclosed without their consent, such as notifying people at risk of contracting or spreading a disease. Nevertheless, professional judgment is crucial to navigate such ethical complexities. In situations where a patient's sexual partner might be at risk, the severity of the disease does influence the decision to breach confidentiality, whereby notifying the partner could be ethically justified to prevent serious harm. However, any action taken must strictly adhere to legal frameworks.
Ultimately, balancing treatment costs, patient quality of life, and risks to individual privacy in the context of health records requires careful ethical consideration. Questions that should be addressed include how policies can protect patient dignity while also ensuring public health, the extent to which information should be shared to improve healthcare outcomes, and how to enforce protections against the misuse of sensitive genetic data.
The complete question is:
The IT staff at a hospital shares genetic information about specific patients with a life insurance company. Which ethical standard was violated?
a) Civility
b) Confidentiality
c) Property rights
d) Human dignity