Tutorial One - Information Technology and Ethical Issues.
Information technology can be defined as "the production, storage and communication of information using computers and micro electrics" (Hank, 1989).
Hank, P. (ed). (1989). Collins Concise Dictionary. Glasgow: Bath Press.
Over the last few years IT has become more popular and now has a common place in societyas it has become apart of our cultural norms.
During this tutorial we discussed IT devices that there are available for us to use in everyday life these ranged from a large variety of search engines, email, downloads to telephones, fax, ipods and TV.
In occupational therapy practice IT is being used to type up clinical notes, do research, send emails, use of mobile phones, faxes and pagers,on fieldworki saw allof those dvices being used regularly. The benefits of using IT in practice are there is more organization, more presentable, easier to read and the information can be easily accessed but in saying this there are also negative points such as the therapist may have a lack of knowledge around IT, when researching not all information is trustworthy, the setting can become dependent on IT and the cost of setting it up.
Ethical implications of sharing information on IT devices are that people can be sharing too much personal information and it can be turned into misuse by others,stalking and accurate information. IT also has positive points such as being able to capture, transfer and communicate information with friends and collugues.
Computer ethics can be defined as "Computer ethics is a branch of practical philosophy which deals with how computing professionals should make decisions regarding professional and social conduct" retrieved 14th February, 2007, from http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_enthics.
Intellectual property can be defined as "in law intellectual property (IP) is an umbrella term for various legal entitlements which attach to certain types of information, ideas or other intangibles in their expressed form..." retrieved 14th February, 2007, from http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property.
Social justice can be defined as "social justice mostly refers to an ideal of society, where "justice" refers to ecomonic status rather than to administration of laws". retrieved 14th February, 2007, from http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justice. Social justice is about providing fairness and equity within the society we live in.
"Informed consent is a legal condition whereby a person can be said to have given consent based upon an appreciation and understanding of the facts and implications of an action" Retrieved February 14, 2007, from http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/informed_consent.
It is very important that we have a firm understanding of ITC and the ethical issues invloved with IT, this will benefit our practice and our social lives too because things are always changing and updating and if we as OTs are able to keep up with the new technology we will be able to participate in this world that keeps changing ever so regularly.
