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Law And Ethics Healthcare Case Study

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Law and Ethics Healthcare Case Study: Introduction How would you feel if you went to the hospital and the staff treated you differently because of the way you looked or your social status? The phrase "everyone should be treated equally" is often easier said than done. Especially in the healthcare field, this is often a topic of interest. Healthcare providers are suppose to treat every patient that enters the hospital the same no matter the patient 's race, religion, social class, and ethnical background. However, there are often many variables that hinder physicians from treating every patient the same such as legal factors and sometimes personal biases.
Background
It is not atypical for patients with no insurance or poor insurance to …show more content…

His brother took him to the emergency department of a rural community hospital. After a chest x-ray, His doctor, Dr. Graham, diagnosed him with moderate congestive heart failure and cardiomegaly. Several tests later, the results showed that he also had mild aortic insufficiency, severe mitral stenosis, severe mitral regurgitation, severe pulmonary hypertension, and severe tricuspid regurgitation. After Dr. Graham stabilized him using a beta-blocker, furosemide, and warfarin, he was instructed to not return to work until he had seen a doctor at the migrant health center (Coyle, 2003). Mr. Villalobos went to the migrant health center a week later. There Dr Greene discovered that he was in mild congestive heart failure and needed a valve replacement. However, the resources at the clinic were not sufficient for his needs and since he was an undocumented immigrant, he had little hope of accessing the local health care system. After reading the case, it showed that Dr. Graham had downplayed how serious Mr. Villalobos condition was. Rather than explaining to the patient what all his options were, it seemed that Dr. Graham simply wanted to get him discharged as quickly as possible (Coyle, 2003).
Principles and Theories In Mr. Villalobos ' case, there are many instances where the quality of care he received could have been improved ethically. There are four principles that are considered by many as the standard

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