Creating and Managing Digital Systems – Privacy & IP Challenges in Healthcare | University of Sunderland

University of Sunderland
Module Title: Creating and Managing Digital Systems Level: 6
Contribution to Module Assessment: 100 % Module Code: LUBM305
Module Leader: Faculty: Business and Law

Assignment Question:

Task 1.

You are the expert Management Consultant of the Creating and Managing Digital Systems department in the Healthcare Digital Systems Grp. (HDS-Grp). It is a new company with speciality in Healthcare Digital and Information Systems. It has over ninety (90) new clients around the UK, Canada and mostly in the United States. Despite being a new company in the Contemporary Digital Healthcare, Innovation and Enterprise business sector, it has quickly grown its reputation to be among one of the best knowledge based organisations in the sector. It has a very wealthy, E-Healthcare, E-Commerce and Online Start-Up clienteles who take Healthcare information systems and privacy of their customers seriously.

The CEO of HDS-Grp has asked you to prepare a report for one of your company’s new clients in the Healthcare Information Systems sector on “Why do contemporary information systems technology and the internet pose challenges to the protection of individual privacy and intellectual property”

Note: This assignment specifically relates to the healthcare sector. The report should be of 2700 words.

Answer

Introduction

As the expert Management Consultant for Creating and Managing Digital Systems at HDS-Grp, I am pleased to provide insights into the challenges posed by contemporary information systems technology and the internet regarding individual privacy and intellectual property protection (Leana et al., 2024). Despite the significant advancements in digital healthcare and information systems, these technologies present complex issues that must be addressed to ensure the security and privacy of sensitive information.

Challenges to Individual Privacy

Data Breaches and Cyber Attacks

Contemporary information systems are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals seeking to exploit vulnerabilities for unauthorized access to sensitive data. Healthcare information, being highly valuable, is particularly at risk (Zhang et al., 2024). Data breaches can lead to the exposure of personal health information (PHI), compromising patient privacy and potentially causing severe repercussions for affected individuals.

Data Aggregation and Misuse

The vast amount of data collected and stored by healthcare systems can be aggregated and analyzed to reveal detailed personal profiles. While beneficial for healthcare analytics, this data can be misused if it falls into the wrong hands, leading to privacy invasions and unauthorized exploitation of personal information (Gao et al., 2024).

Challenges to Intellectual Property

Digital Piracy and Unauthorized Access

The internet facilitates the rapid sharing and dissemination of information, making it difficult to control and protect intellectual property (IP). Healthcare information systems often contain proprietary technologies and confidential data that are at risk of being pirated or accessed without authorisation, undermining the value of IP and the competitive advantage of healthcare providers (Cline et al., 2023).

Complex Legal and Regulatory Landscape

Protecting intellectual property across different jurisdictions presents a significant challenge due to varying legal frameworks and regulations. Ensuring compliance with international IP laws while safeguarding proprietary technologies and data requires robust strategies and vigilant enforcement (Winter et al., 2024).

While contemporary information systems and the internet offer immense benefits for the healthcare sector, they also pose substantial challenges to individual privacy and intellectual property protection. It is imperative for healthcare information systems providers to implement comprehensive security measures, stay abreast of evolving cyber threats, and navigate the complex legal landscape to safeguard sensitive data and proprietary information effectively (Mao et al., 2024). 

By addressing these challenges proactively, HDS-Grp can continue to uphold its reputation as a leader in the digital healthcare sector, ensuring the trust and confidence of its clientele.