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Gilberto Borges 6:12 PM Laws and regulations protect patients, not health professionals

Sociology

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Gilberto Borges

6:12 PM

Laws and regulations protect patients, not health professionals. In fact, although health professionals may have the best intentions to protect patients, a lot of human errors happen, which is why health care providers must follow the laws and regulations in order to avoid these kind of mistakes. I have worked in a hospital setting in the past, and I know from personal experience that there is still a big percentage of patients that get sicker in the hospital, due to infections, or medical negligence. Keeping the laws and regulations in mind, the events that led to the discovery and experimentation with HeLa Cells would’ve definitely been different in today’s day and age. For example, Henrietta Lacks would’ve had to give consent in order for them to pull and analyze these cells. If the cells would’ve been analyzed and pulled without consent, the health care professionals would be facing legal action and possible jail time. 

One case that I believe laws and regulations failed to protect the patient from compliance or ethics is this case that took place in a hospital in Maryland. HIPAA states that PHI (Private Health Information) must be protected, and not exposed or given to unauthorized individuals. However, in this particular case, the hospital refused to provide a copy of the medical records to the patients themselves. HIPAA states that health professionals must provide a requested medical records copy to the patients within 60 days, at no cost. Ultimately, this resulted in a $3 million settlement. Having medical records is essential, especially if you are trying to review your test results, and if you plan to see a specialist whom you’d like to take those records to. These records can save lives by providing important information when treating patients, such as what medicines they’re taking, what conditions they may have, etc.