My Ethical Dilemmas In The Medical Field

One of the main ethical issues that faces health care is the security of patient information. This information is protected by laws and regulations such as HIPPA, but there are still concerns Scott, et al, 2005). Among those concerns is the new concept of electronic patient records and information. These records are designed to help hospitals and doctors get patient information more quickly, so that patients can receive treatment as soon as possible. Unfortunately, anything kept and transmitted on a computer has the potential to be hacked, so that is a serious concern for patients. Not all patients want their medical records to be available electronically, but they may not have too many options (Romano & Stafford, 2010). Opting out may not be an option for them, and if they do have that option it could reduce the speed and quality of treatment that these patients would receive. Do they want to risk that, just so they can feel as though their medical information is better protected?

Ethics are a set of moral principles that serve as a guiding philosophy for behavior. Consequently it is not a surprise that ethical dilemmas occur daily in the health care setting. Any nurse who refuses to provide care for a patient faces an ethical dilemma (Kuhn, 2012, pp. 412-418). The reasons given for refusal range anywhere from a conflict of personal values to fear of personal risk of injury. Nurses do have the right, at times, to refuse patient care assignments. The decision to accept or reject an assignment must be based upon a judgment by the nurse of the nurse 's ability to provide competent patient care. This paper aims to show both sides of the argument when it comes to nurses refusing a patient assignment. One side believes that nurses has the right to refuse patient assignment, as they must be true to themselves if they want to perform their best on the job. On the other hand, the other side believes that it is the nurse’s responsibility to care for all patients and, therefore nurses cannot simply refuse a patient.

In today’s health care industry, mechanical restraints are often used to maintain patients’ behavior and ensure their safety when treating the elderly and the severely ill (Gatsmans & Milisen, 2006). There are many variations of mechanical restraints, but all are defined as “any device, material or equipment attached to or near a person 's body and which cannot be controlled or easily removed by the person and which deliberately prevents or is deliberately intended to prevent a person 's free body movement to a position of choice and/or a person 's normal access to their body” (Gatsmans & Milisen, 2006, p.

Identify and explain two ethical issues/dilemmas in healthcare as identified and discussed in the scholarly literature (ProQuest, EBSCO,

The community clinic has been a great experience to test our abilities and skills for the future as doctors of physical therapy. This opportunity helps students to get to know the strengths and weaknesses in real situations with patients. The community clinic is truly helpful and gives us, students, the chance of experiencing what our future jobs as physical therapy doctors will be like. The combination of practice, observation and feedback from classmates, professors and third year mentors gives a considerable amount of useful knowledge.

A physician has the responsibility to determine the legitimacy of all work injuries and to report its finding accurately. If a physician prepares a report with the intent to use it in support of a fraudulent claim and knowingly submitted for payment under an insurance contract, the physician may be subject to fines or imprisonment and risks the possibility of having his or her medical license revoked. Presenting a claim for an item or services based on a code known to result in greater payment or submit a claim for services not medically needed is a violation of the false claim act.

The ethical dilemma I encountered at my placement involves a male in his late-sixties, who has recently suffered a stroke. Mr. A’s situation is unique as he has been unable to speak and his cognitive abilities have declined since. The Fraser Health agency protocol is to contact the patient’s family to determine who would be the temporary substitute decision makers (“Information for temporary substitute,” 2015). The health care consent and care facility admission act describes how decisions are to be made if a patient is determined incapable (Nidus Personal Planning Resource Centre, 2012). The next steps required liaising with the home health team in the community to determine if Mr. A had ever listed any family members as his emergency contacts.

Healthcare professionals will be faced with ethical dilemmas throughout their career, particularly in the hospital environment. Having an education regarding professional healthcare ethics will provide some direction in how to best address these dilemmas at a time when either the patient or their family is in need of making decisions for themselves or their family member. It can be difficult for healthcare professionals to weigh professional protocol against their own personal beliefs and ethical understandings when determining critical care for their patient.

The discussion on Patrick Dismuke's condition concentrated on his incapability to improve. After reviewing his symptoms and considering possible scenarios resulting from certain kinds of treatment, such as the tube that delivered nutrients into his veins that "broke the barrier between blood and air" and became "a bacteria-laden Trojan horse, opening the door to infection", we attempted to come to a consensus on what would constitute a quality life, as deliberated among the committee. We took into consideration that after every kind of surgery, his status would be temporarily improved but ultimately decline in keeping with his body's proclivity. We acknowledged that the idea of a successful stomach transplant was remote since, as

Last week I had the opportunity to talk to Mr. R who was brought in to the hospital due to a workplace injury. The referral was put through by the attending physician indicating that there was concerns of substance use. I started the conversation by introducing my role as a hospital social worker and tried to build report by asking Mr. R how he was managing at the hospital. Being transparent is important and explaining the reason for the visit helps in creating trust for the therapeutic intervention. I probed Mr. R about his alcohol use and if he identified that as being an issue for him. Mr. R indicated that he has been using alcohol for over a long period and reports this as a part of his daily social life, which makes it hard for abstinence.

Two other themes that were mentioned by at least six of out of the thirteen (46%) interviewees were safety and affordability. Although these themes were not as strong in the interviews, they had significant connections to the data in the surveys and community conversations.

Being a student and learning every subject in the Health care field has been quite an eye opener on what healthcare professionals have to face in their every day careers. Our quality of providing services has been drastically changing with technology advancements, new policies being implemented and stricter regulations. When it comes to medical ethics the patient always comes first. Many people have their own personal views on what is considered to be ethical or not. Being a physician and helping others whether they are ill, have been diagnosed with a disease, or just an injury, they must also have compassion, and show consideration to their patients. What if a patient is suffering a terminal illness and is ready to take their own life, but

An ethical dilemma is based upon personal values that relay an action being good or bad with an end motive to perform an action rightfully or wrongly. In the medical profession each individual holds a responsibility to apply ethical standards to conduct an ethical practice. Frequently, nurses and physicians see withholding or not telling the whole truth of information is within their professional responsibility. It can be apprised that a patient can become perturbed if they are told more information than they may desire. Deception is mainly stated when a healthcare professional gives inaccurate information or withholds accurate information to mislead an individual (Teasdale & Kent 1995).

Everyday, healthcare professionals are faced with ethical dilemmas in their workplace. These ethical dilemmas need to be addressed in order to provide the best care for the patient. Healthcare professionals have to weigh their own personal beliefs, professional beliefs, ethical understandings, and several other factors to decide what the best care for their patient might be. This is illustrated in Mrs. Smith’s case. Mrs. Smith is an 85 year old who has suffered from a large stroke that extends to both of her brains hemispheres which has left her unconscious. She only has some brain stem reflexes and requires a ventilator for support. She is unable to communicate how she wishes to proceed with her healthcare. Mrs. Smith’s children, Sara and Frank have different views regarding their mother’s plan of care. The decision that needs to be made is whether to prolong Mrs. Smith’s life, as Sara would like to do, or stop all treatments and care, as Frank feels his mother would want. In the healthcare field, there are situations similar to this case that happen daily where moral and ethical judgment is necessary to guide the decision that would be best for the patient. The purpose of this paper is to explore and discuss, compare and contrast the personal and professional values, ethical principles, and legal issues regarding Mrs. Smith’s quality of life and further plan of care.

Doctors have a clear and unequivocal obligation to blow the whistle in cases like that of the Johnson & Johnson product Articular Surface Replacement. In this case, the doctors were paid consultants. If I were a paid consultant, it would completely alter my perspective on the case. I might also succumb to peer pressure or to fear that blowing the whistle would hurt my practice. The continued relationships with companies like Johnson & Johnson can prove highly lucrative in the long run. As a human being, I could be tempted by greed as well as the need to preserve my reputation as a medical doctor. Other reasons why I might be tempted to remain silent include what Meier (2013) points out as the sense of loyalty that develops between the doctor and the company executives who have taken me out to dinner and bought me gifts.