Patient’s informational privacy in prehospital emergency care: Paramedics’ perspective

Abstract

Background: As a fundamental human right in healthcare, informational privacy creates the foundation for patient’s safety and the quality of care. However, its realization can be a challenge in prehospital emergency care, considering the nature of the work. Objectives: To describe patient’s informational privacy, its realization, and the factors related to the realization in prehospital emergency care from the perspective of paramedics. Research design: A descriptive questionnaire study was conducted. The data were analyzed with inductive content analysis. Participants and research context: The participants (n = 26) were paramedics in one of the 22 rescue departments in Finland. Ethical considerations: The study received ethical approval from the ethics committee of the University of Turku (Finland). Permission for the study was given by the collaborating rescue department. Findings: Paramedics described patient’s informational privacy as patients’ right to their own health records, as protection of the patient’s health records, and as comprehensive respect of the patient’s privacy by the persons involved in the patient’s care. In general, informational privacy was described as being realized regarding confidentiality, reporting, and maintaining the patient’s health records. However, it was also described as being dependent on the context, and some areas in need of improvement were identified. Promoting and preventing factors related to the realization were also identified. The promoting factors were paramedics’ professional activity, environment, training, and guidelines. The preventing factors were the nature of the work, paramedics’ attitudes, and the lack of knowledge concerning informational privacy among paramedics, the collaborating authority, patients, and relatives. Discussion and conclusion: Paramedics had a multidimensional understanding of informational privacy and the factors related to its realization. However, its realization varies, and more research and education are therefore needed to enhance the realization and to provide equal and high-quality care for all the patients in prehospital emergency care.

The informational privacy of patients in prehospital emergency care—Integrative literature review

“…discussions and an open atmosphere in the work community. This observation was seen to enhance the paramedics understanding of the effect of their actions related to the realisation of patients' IP and so promoted their skill in anticipating situations where the IP of patients may be threatened (Koskimies et al, 2020).…”

“…surveys (Koskimies et al, 2020;Medford-Davis et al, 2017;Tate et al, 2016;Valenzuela Espinoza et al, 2016).…”

“…(Tate et al, 2016. ) The challenging care situations included the patient's critical state and the nature of the public care environment (Adams et al, 1992;Koskimies et al, 2020;Torabi et al, 2018). Maintaining confidentiality often conflicted with medical obligations (Adams et al, 1992).…”

“…The rights of minors to control their own patient records caused particular uncertainty for the paramedics (Koskimies et al, 2020). (Mlinek & Pierce, 1997).…”

“…Patients' varying cultural backgrounds caused a risk of IP breaches. By taking into account, the patients' cultural and religious background and its influence on their perception of IP enhanced the realisation (Koskimies et al, 2020;Torabi et al, 2019).…”