Scenario 1 One of the primary goals of the public health system is to protect th

Question

Scenario 1 One of the primary goals of the public health system is to protect the general public. The citizens of the United States enjoy specific freedom and basic rights guaranteed by the Constitution. However, in an emergency situation, it is possible that specific rights such as the right to confidentiality of an individual may be compromised in an effort to protect the public. Research the South University Online Library or the Internet for an article involving quarantining an individual. Based on your research, answer the following questions regarding the above scenario:

What occurred to warrant the quarantine? Was this justified?

Does the need to protect the public outweigh an individual's right to confidentiality? Why or why not?

What other basic rights of an individual may be compromised in times of an emergency?

Explanation / Answer

Quarantine program was introduced in 1377 when there was epidemic cased due to emergence of plague. The disease was spread severely, covering a large area. The disease was communicable especially the pneumonic plague. 40 days of quarantine was done, people suffered were isolated from the main cities where most of the population lived.The quarantine is justifiable as the disease was spreading and this was the only way to control the disease. It was known that it is spreading from person to person and so quarantine for the infected persons was the option to control the transmission. The need to protect the public outweighs an individual's right to confidentiality. There are conditions when information is shared between members of healthcare to achieve better services. If there is case in which a child has risk of life, the confidentiality needs to be disclosed before the parents, or when someone is severely ill the same has to be disclosed to the family. If the case is related to any crime, it needs to be disclosed for safety of related peoples. In case when there is a matter of contagious disease, there is a requirement for breaching of information example in case of HIV or tuberculosis for protection of public health. In case of emergency such as infection which spreads severely, a social right may be compromised for individual who is infected example, tuberculosis, SARS etc. where patient has to be isolated from others away from the social contacts. If there is any natural calamity and people need to shift to rehabilitation camp, right to security may get violated as the level of security will decrease. Also, if there is any disaster occurred in hospital, the right about patient privacy can be violated if Alzheimer’s patient is present to ensure special treatment for them.

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