Effects of the Perceived Risk of Contracting COVID-19 on Nursing Students' Well-Being.

BACKGROUND: Although mental health symptoms increased during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, little is known about the associations between nursing students' perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 and their academic and psychological well-being. This study examined associations between perceived COVID-19 risk, likelihood of completing nursing education, and mental health factors of nursing students. METHOD: A total of 979 nursing students completed self-report measures of perceived COVID-19 risk, anticipated academic completion, anxiety and depressive symptoms, stress, coping self-efficacy, hope, and social support. RESULTS: Students with higher perceived COVID-19 risk reported increased anxiety and depression as well as decreased likelihood of graduating, coping self-efficacy, and levels of social support. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate the need for increased mental health support for nursing students for successful completion of their programs. Educators should increase support and proactively strengthen positive psychology factors to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and other crises on nursing students' well-being. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(11):641-645.].

Health Information Privacy Laws in the Digital Age: HIPAA Doesn't Apply.

The notion of health information privacy has evolved over time as the healthcare industry has embraced technology. Where once individuals were concerned about the privacy of their conversations and financial information, the digitization of health data has created new challenges for those responsible for ensuring that patient information remains secure and private. Coupled with the lack of updated, overarching legislation, a critical gap exists between advancements in technology, consumer informatics tools and privacy regulations. Almost twenty years after the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliance date, the healthcare industry continues to seek solutions to privacy challenges absent formal contemporary law. Since HIPAA, a few attempts have been made to control specific aspects of health information including genetic information and use of technology however none were visionary enough to address issues seen in today's digital data focused healthcare environment. The proliferation of digital health data, trends in data use, increased use of telehealth applications due to COVID-19 pandemic and the consumer's participatory role in healthcare all create new challenges not covered by the existing legal framework. Modern efforts to address this dilemma have emerged in state and international law though the United States healthcare industry continues to operate under a law written two decades ago. As technology continues to advance at a rapid pace along with consumers playing a greater role in the management of their healthcare through digital health the privacy guidance provided by federal law must also shift to reflect the new reality.