Privacy, confidentiality, and security in clinical information systems: dilemmas and opportunities for the nurse executive.

Protecting the patient medical record in an information age is neither simple or easy. Confidentiality dilemmas create opportunities for nurse executives to exercise leadership in areas of critical concern. The drive toward computerization offers profound implications for privacy, security, and confidentiality, which must be proactively pursued through the careful development of preventive measures. Additionally, the benefits of clinical information systems (CIS) in patient care must not be minimized. The nurse executive who understands the benefit of CIS is in a position to advocate for its important role in health care today.