Confidentiality issues in information systems in social care

This paper examines formal and informal information systems in homecare settings. Qualitative methods, including participant observation, were used, with 54 participants, and studying different types of social services provision. Results emphasise that homecare workers' priority is to their clients' care, and confidentiality may be seen as an obstruction to the sharing of information between care workers and other care professionals. Homecare workers perceive that information going back to care managers at the office needs to be filtered, and in some cases key workers take on that responsibility. The need to communicate risks often conflicts with homecare workers’ concerns over confidentiality, and the establishment of trust when working in a client’s home. New policies for electronic recording of care need to address these confidentiality concerns, as present guidelines appear inadequate.