You are the IT Services Manager at the Community Health Center. You are asked by a physician to expunge a specific patient’s results from the records system, because of the negative impact it may have on the patient’s reputation. There are many issues to consider in this decision, namely the extent to which physician/patient privilege extends, the ethics of a physician and a hospital breaking the law in order to protect a donor, the responsibility a physician has to the spirit of the law and protecting a community, and the good of the individual vs. the good of the community. You will need to consider these issues because they impact the Community Health Center. Based on the information you gather and ethical issues you consider, you will tell the physician what you decide, why you made the decision, and how the physician should proceed with his patient.
