Definition/Introduction
Ethics are inherent in the practice of medicine. In the world of modern healthcare, the area of informatics plays a pivotal role in the maintenance and delivery of care.[1] As such, over recent years informatics ethics has further come into the spotlight. Similar to other codes of ethics, informatics offers insight into the recommended ethical guidance of clinicians and other healthcare professionals. Additionally, the informatics code of ethics functions as a gold standard against which actions of professionals can be compared. Furthermore, the code of informatics ethics offers patients and the general population an established statement of standards which may mold professionals’ actions and behaviors.
Informatics ethics have significant overlap with other codes of ethics developed around social settings. Many of these fundamental principles include autonomy, equality, justice, beneficence, non-maleficence, and integrity. Other principles including information privacy, security, access, openness, least intrusive alternative, legitimate infringement, and accountability play essential roles in healthcare.[2]
All of these ethical principles, provide insight into the duties and responsibilities of clinicians, administrators, and other healthcare personnel when dealing with patient-related content. It is worth emphasizing that these principles function to provide guidance, depending on the nature, context, and specific details of individual situations.[3]