Fundamentals of Healthcare Technology, Research Paper Example

The modern ethical issues in the healthcare industry are connected to the fact that there are great advancements in technology with medical research shifting to developing countries, away from the developed countries where the technology is highly used. The major reason why these medical researches are shifting to these developing countries is because the ethical regulations are less strict and the code of ethics is not easily observed in the developing countries (U.S. Department of Justice, 2000).

The healthcare ethical codes are not laws but they are standards of conduct. They are basically believed to be the moral guide for practice by which coding specialists may use to determine the propriety of their conduct when they relate to patients, physicians and co-workers. Good ethical behaviour in the healthcare industry ensures that the medical practitioners do their work with integrity, competence, honesty and respect to the human life. Therefore, it is illegal to give incorrect information to programs funded by the government. It is also illegal to give incorrect information to people who want to use a particular kind of drug that can possibly damage them (Graham-Bermann, & Levendosky, 1998). This is usually done due to the technological advancements in the healthcare industry where the coding specialists compromise the integrity of the databases that make them commit illegal or unethical crimes.

Examples of illegal and unethical coding practices in the healthcare industry are:

• Infringing guiding principles by use of modifiers or code numbers in order to raise payments when the documentation of the case does not call for it.
•  Coding for a process for payment that were not carried out at the healthcare facility.
• Separating health care services that are provided as one into separate codes when there only one CPT code available.
•   Failing to code an appropriate complication or condition when it is clearly recorded in the medical report.
• Coding a service that is not usually covered to be covered.
• Coding for a different condition as the major diagnosis when most of the patient’s treatment is only meant for a pre-existing condition.

Reference

Fantuzzo, J., Boruch, R., Beriama, A., Atkins, M., & Marcus, S. (1997). Health Care Code of Ethics. Journal of the American Medical Assiciation, 36, 116-122.

Graham-Bermann, S.A., & Levendosky, A.A. (1998). Action against Health Net for illegal practices Journal of Medicare Practices, 14, 111-128

U.S. Department of Justice, 2000. Ethical Issues in Healthcare., Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention