...Ethics in Healthcare Jessica Christian Medicolegal and Ethical Issues 2/3/13 According to our book, Health Care Ethics, ethics is the branch of philosophy that seeks to determine how human actions may be judged right or wrong (p.1). Also the study of ethics is a branch of philosophy that implies that the human mind is the fundamental means by which actions may be judged. According to Google the definition of ethics is the moral principles that govern a person’s or group’s behavior or the moral correctness of specified conduct. If I were to define ethics according to what I believe, I would have to say that ethics are honesty, respect, fairness and consideration. To be ethical means to take every single aspect into consideration and to be fair in making decisions, especially when you are involving another human being. Another way of being ethical is respecting someone’s rights and doing what is right for them based on their situation. Ethics are different in every society, for example, “Whistle blowing”, pointing out peer who are doing wrong is normal in America and there are even hotlines set up in the workplace to call. Although in France it is considered to be a bad thing to single your peers and it is frowned upon by many. According to the website www.ucl.ac.uk, Ethics in healthcare deals with the choices we make and our actions in relation to those choices. It deals with the choices made by both clinicians and patients and the duties and obligations of clinicians...
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...Ethics essay: Things to consider and justify: • Health workers of all kinds should have a competence in ethical thinking. In order to develop such competence to the full it is necessary to understand the theories of moral philosophers. Health workers need to know the basic content of and the difficulties with the various theories of ethics, and they need to be aware of the different principles for action that follow from the various theories • Health workers need more than a willingness to "do good", to "do the right thing", or to "be moral". They need tools to be ethical just as an occupational therapist needs a goniometer to measure joint movement, or knowledge of anatomy and physiology. And as with the learning of all skills, health workers need time and experience in order to develop their ability to work with these tools • The essence of moral reasoning- A respect for moral reasoning is a sign of maturity in a person. It is a significant mark of civilisation. Moral reasoning is made possible by intellect, stamina and patience. It is clear that there are no specific rules that can always be applied to best effect in all situations. And it is apparent that a reliance on intuition is not sufficient Seedhouse, 2008- By having a in depth knowledge of the principles and theories, gives us more option for moral reasoning in practice. • The point of describing so many theories is to make it utterly clear that it is inadequate to select one theory and apply it consistently...
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...subject of ethics is very hard to explain when it is applied to the workplace. Ethics is defined as “ the code of moral principals and values that governs the behaviors of a person or group with respect to what is right or wrong”(Daft 2012 pg. 5). Having a code of ethics represents what an organization values, their set standards and should be an aid when making corporate decisions. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. It has become common for an organization to ditch their ethical codes for the prospects of pleasing stakeholders and making profits, abandoning all sound reasons. On December 29, 2009 an article was written by J. Commins about Genesys Health Systems. According to the government, Genesys Health System, a member of Ascension Health, violated the False Claims Act by falsely billing Medicare for services that were not performed on patients. The alleged fraud was brought to the governments attention in a whistleblower lawsuit by a contracted auditor named Wendy Buterakos. Genesys Health System agreed to pay the federal government $669,413 to settle the allegations in which Ms. Buterakos received $133,882 from the settlement. Genesys Health System never admitted to the fraud, instead they stated that the mistakes in billing were made due to the claims made by physicians. It is an understatement to say that Genesys Health Systems action were unethical. In healthcare it is important that the clinical and management ethics are based “on a concept of health care professionals...
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...Market Influences in Health Care – Social Media and Technology National American University Abstract How much does social media influence individual’s health care decisions? The effect of information that individuals receive through social media and technology is having a growing effect on their views towards health care. Mass media is in the business to convince individuals to have a certain thought or idea about health care. Social media and technology is identifying ways to connect with the audience, which is everyone. When individuals see an ad about a new medication or procedure, the viewer start to internalize the messages and signals at a conscious and subconscious levels. Everything an individual experiences through social media and technology can shape their thoughts, ideas and influence their choices and decisions. The different messages received through these different ways can shape the images of many areas within the health care systems. Social Media - Social media is at every turn from the moment you wake up; to the moment you go to bed. It has become a part of our daily life and there is no getting away from it! It is impossible to imagine a life without social media somewhere. It has become the standard to have a number of televisions, computers, tablets and smart phones in every home and see a smart phone in everyone’s hand when your are out and about. We must have access to the internet at all times and the faster the better...
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...Health Law and Regulations Daniel Sanchez Health Law and Ethics/545 August 19, 2013 Mary Cummings Introduction Over the past several decades America has witnessed overwhelming increases in health care cost and a diminishing quality of care. The involvement of government sets the expectations of enforcing laws and regulations on how health care is delivered in the United States of America. Healthcare legislation has been defining regulatory agencies for centuries. The primary existence of these government-regulated agencies is to ensure that laws and regulations are enforced. Access to quality and affordable healthcare is protected through government regulatory agencies. In addition to the escalating cost of healthcare and increasing society’s debt both positive and negative effects has transpired. The pros and cons of improving care and reducing the cost of healthcare has been the goal of regulatory agencies from the beginning. Controlling healthcare cost and delivering quality care is made possible through health care legislation. The following will discuss governmental regulatory agencies and its effects on the healthcare industry. Government Regulatory Agencies and Their Role Federal regulatory agencies are in place to govern issues that impact the people of the United States. These agencies have been in existence for hundreds of years. Situations that impact the American society are inclusive to things that have a direct personal affect on them individually...
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...Ethics in a Community Health Program Name Institution Date Every health procedure performed by professional in the community operates under the strict guidance of ethical considerations. The ethical observation works for the interest of the community members and prevents them from any incidence of malpractice. It also keeps the professionals in check by the regulating bodies. The intention of reducing teenage pregnancies in the community by the means of health education has various implications for the lives of the target group. Since this is a behavior change program, it should observe the health ethics as outlined by the best practices of the governing bodies. First, the program should be consistent with the principle of justice. Justice implies that all the individuals targeted in a program should be subject to equal treatment in terms access of information and materials (Butts & Rich, 2013).The intended outcome is to have a reduced number of teenagers getting pregnant. All the primary beneficiaries should enjoy the benefits that accrue to this program. In implementing the program concerning justice, the concerned parties should consider the fair distribution of the resource and the different needs of teenagers in different setting sin the community. Secondly, the program will not be consistent with health regulations without the application of autonomy. It involves allowing the target group to make decisions without any unnecessary influence (Butts & Rich, 2013)...
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...Assignment: u10a1 Final Health Care Organizational Ethics Plan Project Due Date: 12/14/2012 Ethnic is based on the rules and guidelines an individual uses to govern his life, as well as the manner in which he interacts with others. A personal code of ethics is a necessary ingredient to achieve success or overcome adversity. In the absence of rules, it's difficult to hold oneself accountable for poor decision-making or bad behavior. On the other hand, organizational ethics are the principals and standards by which businesses operate. They are best demonstrated through acts of fairness, compassion, integrity, honor and responsibility. The key for business owners and executives is ensuring that all employees understand these ethics. One of the best ways to communicate organizational ethics is by training employees on company standards. While ethical behavior in medical practice has been demonstrated to be beneficial to patients and medical staffs, unethical behavior has caused significant injury to them. Performing ethical behavior in healthcare by, for example, preserving patient confidentiality, medical staffs should respect patients’ autonomy, abide by their obligation to reciprocate patients’ trust, and preserve public confidence in the staff-patient relationship in healthcare. In a long run, patients who trust their medical providers to safeguard their secrets are more likely to seek prompt care for stigmatized health conditions and to disclose sensitive information...
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...Law and Ethics in Health Care Laws and ethical principles are essential for protecting the mankind, and they play a crucial role in the practice of health care. Laws and ethics play a vital role in cases such as organ donation, human genetics, and HIV/AIDS and confidentiality. The health care issue I selected for discussion is HIV/AIDS. In the case of HIV/AIDS patients, there is always ethical conflict of protecting the confidentiality of patient and disclosing the information to others about the risks of the disease. Salient Ethical and Legal Concerns Associated with HIV/AIDS As described by Pozgar (2013) one of the legal issues is the association between blood transfusion and HIV. Law suits often arise when a person with AIDA claims that he or she contracted the disease due to the administration of contaminated blood (Pozgar, 2013). Lawsuits commonly arise when there is transfusion of mismatched blood, improper screening, and improper storage procedures (Pozgar, 2013). Since May 1985, all blood donated in the United States are screened for HIV antibodies and even then patient’s may claim that they contracted the disease due to transfusion. Another legal and ethical issue is whether to allow the AIDS infected surgeons to perform surgeries. Pozgar (2013) described that the transmission of the virus from an infected surgeon to a patient is unlikely, but there is still a possibility. There is an ethical dilemma whether to allow these surgeons to perform surgeries...
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...Practices and Ethics of Health Care Oscar Derry Brown HCS405 March 9th 2013 Donna Nanovski Reporting Practices and Ethics of Health Care This paper will explain the practices and ethics of the health care system. Within the past few years there has been countless of fraud and abuse in the Medicare and Medicaid systems. Many false practices by doctors and health care staff to make the extra dollar. On the other hand there are health care providers who follow the right proto-call to stay honest with his or her patients and practices. This paper will summarize the many financial elements and the ethical standards of the health care providers. Financial Management As the health care system enters to the new century, there is a tidal wave effect within the system. With so many changes, such as the older generation are working and living longer the health care system has to change. Reorganizing (organization) the health care system over the past 10 years has changed completely the procedure of delivery and financing. Better future planning however has been a challenged for the health care system. There are several factors cost cutting, services continue to reduced, the growth of revenues and return on the investments. This can be called mismanage care that has decreased cost (M. Cipriano-Silva, 1998). The health care workforce is the fastest growing career in America. Eleven million plus strong employees is most powerful workforce of health care today...
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...To Intubate or Not To Intubate: Families vs. Physicians Debate on Health Care Ethical Issues SHARON COLES University of Phoenix JANUARY 30, 2012 To Intubate or Not To Intubate: Families vs. Physicians The top healthcare ethical issue in the United States is the disagreement between patients/families and health care professionals about treatment decisions. It is not uncommon for health care professionals to clash with the family of the patients for whom they care for over treatment decisions. Some patients will inevitably suffer the consequences of an error made during their care or hospitalization. Many people in need of diagnostic tests or surgical procedures are forced to wait months, and perhaps even years, to receive these services. These are just some examples of the kinds of ethical challenges that patients and their families may confront in the health care setting. Disagreements typically take one of two forms. Either the health care professional might push a treatment option for more or less treatment that patients and families deem unacceptable, or conversely patients/families may push a treatment option, whether it is more or less treatment, or different treatment, as an alternative, or complementary treatment that health care professionals deem unacceptable (Breslin, MacRae, Bell, & Singer, 2005). Ethical Issue According to research studies, it is the end-of-life critical care cases that tend to be the most emotionally charged, and...
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...Don’t Forget About Your Health Don’t Forget About Your Health . . Be mindful the following dates: 1. November 1st -Community Health Fare 2. November 13th – First Aid Certification Meeting 3. November 30th – First Aid Certification Meeting 4. December 5th – Blood Bank Rally 5. December 20th – Sickle Cell Awareness Walk Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Be mindful the following dates: 6. November 1st -Community Health Fare 7. November 13th – First Aid Certification Meeting 8. November 30th – First Aid Certification Meeting 9. December 5th – Blood Bank Rally 10. December 20th – Sickle Cell Awareness Walk Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! The Residents of Grey’s Creek Windsor Park Sub-Division The Residents of Grey’s Creek Windsor Park Sub-Division Phone: 901.555.3240 Fax: 901.555.3245 123 Main Street Memphis, TN 38134 www.windsorPark.com Phone: 901.555.3240 Fax: 901.555.3245 123 Main Street Memphis, TN 38134 www.windsorPark.com Windsor Park Healthcare Community Mailer Windsor Park Healthcare Community Mailer Our Community Our Community Health IsWealth Health IsWealth Health Is Wealth Health Is Wealth Community Demographics Cultural/Age Related Community Demographics Cultural/Age Related We reside in a very diverse community. We have veterans, baby boomers, empty nesters, young adults, and families of all ethnicities. Our community consist of all ethnicities...
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...My new solution that might mitigate the conflicts of interest between medical ethics and public health would be better research and education. Public health ethics are a fairly new topic. As the public health becomes more prominent, there will be more and more issues that arise (Callahan & Jennings, 2002). One of the ways to combat the conflicts between medical ethics and public health ethics is through more education. While education is not a new theory, how it this can be handled it. There has to be a method that teaches medical professionals to think outside of the box in a more contested and ethical way (Gaare-Bernheim, 2003). There would need to be a curriculum to incorporate not only the repercussions to the individual and upholding...
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...|American Health Information Management Association Code of Ethics | |Preamble | |The ethical obligations of the health information management (HIM) professional include the safeguarding of privacy and security of health information; disclosure of | |health information; development, use, and maintenance of health information systems and health information; and ensuring the accessibility and integrity of health | |information. | |Healthcare consumers are increasingly concerned about security and the potential loss of privacy and the inability to control how their personal health information is | |used and disclosed. Core health information issues include what information should be collected; how the information should be handled, who should have access to the | |information, under what conditions the information should be disclosed, how the information is retained and when it is no longer needed, and how is it disposed of in a| |confidential manner. All of the core health information issues are performed in compliance with state and federal regulations, and employer...
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...The principal concern of ethics should be a standardized approach; it is how we as public health professionals ought to operate. “Ethics is concerned with establishing the appropriate way to act and reflecting upon the reasons that justify such appropriate action” (Dawson, 2008). The way in which public health professional explain information is key here. Exaggerating risks would increase health awareness and further encourage health-promoting behaviors. However Withholding key information would lead to more inquiries on whether to trust public health professionals. “The ethics of public health are concerned with the ethical dimensions of professionalism and the moral trust that society bestows on public health professionals to act for the...
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...There are large amounts of waste in terms of spending on interventions/therapies within the US healthcare system. Only a fraction of the waste (or "abuse") is deliberate; most of the waste of our limited resources is due to the continuous use of diagnostic testing and therapies that offer no benefits (Brody, 2012). From my own experience in the employment of a hospital, I have seen (and heard about) patients asking for all available treatments, no matter how small the benefits are, as well as health care professionals acting, partly, in self-interest. And Dr. Brody's (2012) article says as much, "We now realize that futile may be administered not solely because of patients' demand but also by physicians acting out of habit or financial self-interest or on the basis of flawed evidence....
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