[...]... national boundaries, and that the creators and providers of information include experts and non-experts (in a particular domain, as well as in technology use and understanding) we can see that the challenges to accessing, understanding, regulating, and distinguishing the valid from the invalid are not trivial However, whilst some of the issues are challenging they are not xi insurmountable and great strides... in meeting and addressing the issues by those working in the relevant disciplines that include both computer science and the social sciences, and particularly cognitive science, psychology, philosophy, and law In all of the different sectors that have incorporated computer technologies the ethical, legal and social issues that arise have an impact that affect all stakeholders—from individuals within... that highlights the transforming effect of such technologies The terms that have emerged to cover the convergence of computer technology and medicine are various: health informatics, healthcare informatics, biomedical engineering, e-health, and medical informatics The areas all overlap and share a common theme, but for us the term medical informatics emphasizes the “technical” information application area... with the medical profession—a domain to which the ethical, legal, and social aspects are at the moment most relevant The Scope of Medical Informatics Medical informatics touches most people in the world today in the developed and not so developed countries Its scope is vast, covering the full range of information support to medical practice provide by computer technology—from computerized records in doctor’s... with the moral issues make for an interesting dynamic Conclusion This book brings together the perspectives of authors from a variety of disciplines: computer science, information science, medicine, law, philosophy, and the social sciences, to offer an international overview of the ethical, legal, and social issues inherent in the application of information communication technologies in the healthcare... beginning of this chapter (i.e., concerning Drs Franklin and Shindore) raise a number of social issues In general terms, buying prescription drugs remotely encourages a culture of independence from recognised institutional Copyright © 2008, IGI Global Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited Online Medical Consultations  practices and. .. result in the prescribing doctor facing an action of breach of contract and possibly incurring a financial penalty Confidentiality and Data Protection The writing of prescriptions via online consultations raises important legal issues of confidentiality and data protection Confidentiality focuses on maintaining the secrecy of information and data protection focuses on the legal framework governing the... Setting out, and abiding by these principles gives grounds for a relationCopyright © 2008, IGI Global Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited Online Medical Consultations  ship whereby the patient can feel secure and trust that their interests are taken into account, and that they are not going to suffer harm Establishing and maintaining... applications in health care and biomedicine (2nd ed.) (pp 3-40) New York: Springer Verlag Endnotes 1 Shortliffe and Blois note the use of “electromechanical punched-card dataprocessing technology” which was widely used for epidemiologic and public health surveys during the 1920’s and 30’s (2001, p.23) 2 The scope outlined as relevant to the journal Medical Informatics and The Internet in Medicine, Informa... certain professional standards, and in many instances consultations done online fall below the accepted professional standards (of a medical consultation) as set out in the regulation of medical practice In the UK, medical practice is regulated by the General Medical Council (GMC) and to some extent the British Medical Association (BMA) The GMC was established by the UK Medical Act 1983 (as amended) and . computer technology and medicine are vari- ous: health informatics, healthcare informatics, biomedical engineering, e-health, and medical informatics. The. of Congress Cataloging -in- Publication Data Ethical, legal, and social issues in medical informatics / Penny Duquenoy, Carlisle George, and Kai Kimppa, editors.