Navigating the Ethical Terrain towards a Responsible Adoption of Health Information Systems: Recommended Ethical Pathways

Abstract

Health Information System (HIS) improves healthcare data accuracy, care coordination, resource allocation, and informed decision-making. However, ethical concerns arise with data security, privacy, informed consent, and patient autonomy. This paper discusses the benefits and drawbacks of HIS and offers recommendations to address the ethical issues, crucial for countries like Bhutan undergoing healthcare digital transformation with Electronic Patient Information System (e-PIS) adoption. The main recommendations are: educating system personnel, establishing regulatory and ethical frameworks, implementing strong security standards, obtaining informed consent from patients, and enabling patients to access their own records. An integrated approach that balances technology and ethics is needed to successfully adopt HIS.