The title of this blog gives you a pretty rough idea of exactly what this post will be about. This information about technology and ethical issues is from our first tutorial of this course. So bare with me as this blogging thing is all so very new to me, so here goes... welcome to the world of TECHNOLOGY ! the main theme and reason we are creating these blogs.
Information Technology is also known as IT. I have taken a definition off the internet to explain this term as i thought i would stick to technology (the thing of the future) rather than go to books (the things of the past). Good old trusty Wikipedia (n.d.) defines information technology as "the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications".
Wow if you are anything like me, right now you will be thinking what the? was that definition in english. So to make it easier for you all i will atempt to explain this in my own words.... something i dread doing so please excuse me if it makes no sense. Information technology is to do with the use of software and computers to manage information. It refers to anything related to computing technology, such as networking, hardware, software, the Internet, or the people that work with these technologies. In todays world when we think of technology there are so many items that pop into the mind like cellphones, laptops, digital cameras, mp3 players, ipods, the internet-wireless, ipod touch, iPad. The list can go on an on. Most people go through day to day live using these technology devices very frequently in fact, all the time! Im afraid to say that yes i am guilty of this as im sure most of you are.
My cell-phone is my life-line to the rest of the world. Im sure some of you have lost or mis-placed your phone before and it was the most annoying and fustrating thing EVER. I no it certaintly feels like that for me. But i put the question to you all WHY? its only a small peice of plastic that lights up and makes sounds isnt it? unfortuantly my peice of lighting musical making plastic device is my social network communicating centre!! Every thing i do, the people i see, where i go, keeping in touch is all organised through the information given to me through the plastic device. By relying so much on this device has it hindered the face to face communication between people? I no that texting has certaintly taken over having conversations to people on the phone.
What kind of effect is this technology having on peoples communicating skills? Yes it deffinitly makes life easier... but is it for the best?
Along with cellphones being part of my everyday life, their are also many other technology devices that i use and are competent with. First of all my laptop! this has to be the number one needed technology device i use and need to have to be able to particpate in the course Occupational therapy. As the school has to decided to put our lectures online and use a system called moodle this is yet another way society is changing and accepting technology into our lives. Therefore my laptop is needed daily, as well as it provides me the connection to the internet... and yes that means the connection to FACEBOOK! which needs to be checked a few times daily! I am comfortable with camera, in which i have two... however one is a flash one and am yet to discover how to properly use this. I am comfortable using ipods, televisions and all that stuff. However i have to admit when getting a new technology device, i do have to learn how to use it and have a wee peep at the instructions from time to time as im not the most technology savvy person ever.
This brings us to the part of the post where we are to link it all to Occupational therapy! On my fieldwork placement technology was used much the same as you and I would use it. My therapist used computers for emailing, keeping in contact with her team mates and gathering information. She used programs like word to type up information. The inernet was used to gather information about conditions and gather information from google maps. Cellphones provided connection between the team and also provided safety when a person was out in the community alone. Technonolgy was used to put x-rays onto the computer which allowed the use of these to be shown at MDT meetings through powerpoints however the most interesting and fasinating peice of technology i saw and played with on placement was a powered wheel chair for a 12month old. This was absoloutly fasinating as i was shocked the child would be able to use this. It was moved by head switches witch the child pushed on using her head to steer. This was an incredible thing to see as i had no idea such a thing was possible. This peice of technology had provided this child freedom and allowed her to be able to move about like her peers. Seeing this truly gave me an understanding into how technology can help someone.
Technology used by OTs will greatly depend on the setting in which they are working in. A surgical ward will differ from a rehabilatation clinic etc. I believe IT is quickly becoming part in the way OTs practice. An example of this is Wii- hab - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjY8g98xVsg which is fast becoming used by many OTs as a form of rehabilatation. IT is fastly changing. There are new products, designs and companys bringing out new things daily. By the time i begin practicing who knows what new product will be being used as forms of intervention. Therefore i think it is important to be up to date with technology and understand the way in which it works, having an open mind to all forms of it. 'Meaningfull occupation' to some individials may take place in a form of technonlogy. I would therefore need to be able to see the positive effects IT can have on people and fully appreciate it. Hopefully over the course of this paper i will learn more about IT and the way in which it relates to occupational therapy and gain a greater understanding for this.
Through the development of technology, other issues have arisen over ethics. Ethical implications have arisen from the capturing, sharing and transferring of information via IT devices. Personal information these days can be taken about you by the use of technology and placed for the whole world to see. People can film you and place videos and pictures of you onto sites like facebook and youtube. Even though the picture is of you, you have no authority to be able to remove it which seems not right at all! Google street maps are constantly taking photos to update their system. Have you looked at your house? you may just be able to see your self through the kitchen window or doing the gardening. Scary huh? Or the constant CTV footage through you town watching you, who sees it and where does it go? These issues and qeustions are all about the one word ethics. Through this issue peoples privacy is becoming vialated. If this issue keeps continuing will confedentiality become a thing of the past?
Intellectual property is based on the idea of peoples creativity and innovations being protected by law through copy writes and trademarks etc. Therefore making sure no-one can copy, use the ideas of and claim work that isnt theirs. An example of this is the idea of references, quoting and citing information that doesnt belong to you. It is acknowledging the people you are borrowing the information from. Intellectual property is defined by Wikipedia (n.d.) as "a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law.[1] Under intellectual property law, owners are granted certain exclusive rights to a variety of intangible assets, such as musical, literary, and artistic works; discoveries and inventions; and words, phrases, symbols, and designs. Common types of intellectual property include copyrights, trademarks, patents, industrial design rights and trade secrets in some jurisdictions" (para. 1).
Social justice defined Wikipedia (n.d.) generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being (Para. 1). In relation to occupational therapy, social justice is very important as it is about respecting the client. Occupational therapists need to balance the clients needs, financial support and the laws regarding appopriate care to provide social justice to the client. Therefore this means the client has the right to the best treatment available without basis opinions that may effect the decisions of health professionals (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2010). It relates to the idea of all clients getting provided an equal opportunity for intervention no matter the opinions of OTs, finanicial issues and ethinicity.
Informed consent is about the giving consent that can have anything to do with medical treatment, money, property, ideas etc. Before a person can give informed consent they are entiled to hear all of the facts before their decision. See Wikipedia for more information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Informed_consent
In relation to OT, occupational therapists must gain informed consent before starting treatment with a client, get consent for any in formation to be seen by other people and for things like videoing or taking pictures etc as it is also ethically correct to (Occupational Therapy Now, 2001).
Reference List
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2010). Social justice and meeting the needs of the clients. Retreived April 06, 2011 from http://www.aota.org/Practitioners/Ethics/Advisory/Social-Justice.aspx
Occupational Therapy Now. (2001). Informed consent: Do you have it?. Retreived April 16, 2011. from http://www.caot.ca/otnow/sept01-eng/sept01-consent.cfm
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Intellectual property. Retreived April 06, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Information technology. Retreived March 12, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_technology
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Social justice. Retreived April 07, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justice
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