Applied Ethics and ICT-Systems in Healthcare

Abstract

What are the ethical implications of information and communication technology in healthcare and how can new ICT-systems fit in an ethically based healthcare system? In this chapter, new ICT-applications in healthcare are assessed from an ethical perspective. The first application assessed is a system making patient information accessible for all healthcare units at a district, county or even national level. The second application, the so-called patient portal, is a system for patient Internet access to his or her medical record. The third application is the use of the Internet as a source of medical information, a means for medical consultation and for marketing of drugs. The systems are primarily assessed by the following ethical principles; the principle of doctor-patient relationship, the principle of responsibility and the principle of autonomy.