Client Confidentiality In Social Work

Words: 1427
Pages: 6

Technology has become an essential part of our society today. We utilize it for everything from socialization to school, entertainment, information, and without reservation work. In human services such as social work, client notes have been written by hand for decades, where they were locked in cabinets, massive amounts of paper files are recorded of hundreds of clients. In the last few years’ technology has immense in the field of social work and have shown a promising improvement in the future. As a result, the roles of social workers are changing, and they may need to accommodate the new advancement in practice. Adequate skills are required to use automation appropriately and adopt the agency’s protocols to assure ethical and competency. …show more content…
This new system has created problems; customer’s privacy is no longer private, particular in cases where multiple providers share software that holds confidential client information. The security of data and information storage leaves sensitive client information vulnerable. Not all servers, including e-mail and cloud computing systems, are secure and reliable. A breach of security could lead to client information and data being released or violated, which could have legal consequences.
Client confidentiality and privacy were a major concern in professional/clients communication. Managed care’s increased use of cost-efficient computer technology for storing client information compromises client confidentiality. Giffords conclude that matters have worsened and will likely continue to do so regarding privacy violation for social worker clients reviews. To help uphold clients’ rights to confidentiality, the Giffords recommend that case reviewers be brought into a more personal level of relationship with the consumers so that they know who is storing information about their lives. They also recommend a signed agreement between the agency and the client stating how confidentiality of computerized records is to be assured. Social workers must maintain aggressive advocacy to ensure that their customers’ privacy is upheld (Giffords,
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Little research exists, however, on the efficacy of this counseling modality. This study compares computer-mediated counseling and traditional face-to-face counseling on both treatments of anxiety and on attitudes towards counseling. Results found that clients in both treatment modalities had experienced a significant and comparable decrease in anxiety. Furthermore, consumers rating of counselors' expertness, attractiveness, and trustworthiness were not affected by the mode of delivery. These results support the further exploration of potentially practical uses of computer- mediated