When a patient is admitted to a hospital, one expects to be cured and protected. However, this unspoken vow has been broken. Throughout the United States, hospital professionals have unintentionally exposed patients’ information. Today, there are currently no laws prohibiting how one obtains cloning information in hospitals. Human hair and skin left in an environment are free to be collected and used without permission. Furthermore, physicians can sell unidentifiable patient information to others for “scientific purposes.” With this, it is essential to amend the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to require patient consent in any form of testing for scientific purposes because of the United States’ history of security
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There are breaches that often remain unreported. According to Carnegie Mellon University’s records, “For all breaches affecting more than 500 individuals, the Information Security Office will coordinate with covered components to provide notice to HHS [Human Health Services] contemporaneously with the notification of affected individuals” ("HIPAA Breach Notification”). Here, HHS is only notified if a significant number of people are affected and HIPAA must be changed in order to acknowledge vulnerable victims. Moreover, each violation not only causes patients distress, but is also costly. The University of Louisville reports, “To date, nine separate entities have incurred more than $12 Million in fines and penalties from breaches and other HIPAA violations” ("HIPAA Breach Recent Enforcement Actions"). From this, HIPAA must be amended in order to protect the public from such breaches. In addition, this affects all hospitals, which are prevalent throughout the United States. According to Fordney, “All allied health programs are required to cover HIPAA” (Fordney 17). Here, HIPAA is implemented everywhere and all medical professionals must be educated on it. Since all medical staff are educated on it, there must be a specified, consistent standard. Despite anything that occurs, physicians are required to do everything for the patient’s benefit. In fact, all physicians must swear to the Hippocratic Oath (“Guides:Bioethics”). From this, they vow not to violate patient rights and to maintain ethical standards. HIPAA’s current implementation must be further specified in order to ensure this ethical standard is
There are breaches that often remain unreported. According to Carnegie Mellon University’s records, “For all breaches affecting more than 500 individuals, the Information Security Office will coordinate with covered components to provide notice to HHS [Human Health Services] contemporaneously with the notification of affected individuals” ("HIPAA Breach Notification”). Here, HHS is only notified if a significant number of people are affected and HIPAA must be changed in order to acknowledge vulnerable victims. Moreover, each violation not only causes patients distress, but is also costly. The University of Louisville reports, “To date, nine separate entities have incurred more than $12 Million in fines and penalties from breaches and other HIPAA violations” ("HIPAA Breach Recent Enforcement Actions"). From this, HIPAA must be amended in order to protect the public from such breaches. In addition, this affects all hospitals, which are prevalent throughout the United States. According to Fordney, “All allied health programs are required to cover HIPAA” (Fordney 17). Here, HIPAA is implemented everywhere and all medical professionals must be educated on it. Since all medical staff are educated on it, there must be a specified, consistent standard. Despite anything that occurs, physicians are required to do everything for the patient’s benefit. In fact, all physicians must swear to the Hippocratic Oath (“Guides:Bioethics”). From this, they vow not to violate patient rights and to maintain ethical standards. HIPAA’s current implementation must be further specified in order to ensure this ethical standard is