Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:The Culture of Health Care
Unit:Ethics and Professionalism
Lecture:Ethical issues in health informatics
Slide content:Conflicts of Interest: When Duties and Motives Clash 8.11 Figure: Conflicts of interest (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, 2012). 8
Slide notes:Another aspect of professionalism is to avoid or report conflicts of interest. To briefly review the information covered in a previous lecture, conflict of interest arises when a person is faced with a situation in which a primary interest conflicts with a secondary motivation. Primary duties include ethical and legal requirements, such as the obligation to keep patient information private. Secondary motivations are personal interests such as the opportunity for financial gain. This aspect of professionalism applies not only to those providing patient care but also to those working in informatics and information technology. Both work environments may provide access to patient information and other valuable business data assets. Hyper-diligence is needed in information technology departments and other areas not engaged in direct patient care so that staff understands the importance of confidentiality and the necessity to abide by legal and ethical requirements. 8