Privacy and confidentiality of patient information. Challenges for nursing.

The growing interest in automating healthcare information and the emergence of the computer-based patient record-keeping have brought the issues of privacy and confidentiality to the fore-front. Nurse executives and nurse managers need to be sensitive to these issues, as never before, to guide their staffs and to prevent harm. Technology makes sensitive information more accessible to more people, with resulting benefits and dangers. The author presents a nursing ethical framework for discussing patient privacy and confidentiality issues, and highlights specific issues that reflect nursing's unique viewpoints.