Navigating ethics: Nurses' experiences with hospital information systems in the digital age

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Nursing Informatics
• Healthcare Ethics

Background:

• Digitalization is transforming healthcare delivery globally.
• Hospital Information Systems (HIS) are integral to nursing practice for patient data management.
• The use of HIS raises significant concerns about patient privacy, data security, and ethical care standards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the ethical experiences of nurses using Hospital Information Systems (HIS) in patient care.
• To identify ethical challenges and behaviors related to HIS implementation in nursing.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative exploratory study design was utilized.
• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 nurses, adhering to COREQ guidelines.
• Conventional content analysis was applied to the interview data.

Main Results:

• Three primary themes emerged: patient privacy, ethical behavior, and ethical challenges.
• Key findings include concerns regarding unauthorized access and insufficient training.
• Nurses' ethical experiences are significantly shaped by HIS functionalities and usage.

Conclusions:

• Addressing nurses' ethical experiences with HIS is essential for improving patient care quality.
• Ongoing education and privacy awareness initiatives are necessary to support ethical nursing practice in the digital age.
• Recommendations focus on mitigating risks associated with unauthorized access and enhancing user training for HIS.