Whether you are a healthcare worker or a doctor, taking some decisions related to your patient’s life and care may lead to conflicts. The medical field is advantageous, but it can lead you to face severe consequences in several things. Therefore, taking decisions in those scenarios in terms of ethics and morality can save you from complications. Let’s discuss this in detail.
What are ethical issues in healthcare?
Some high ethical standards are vital for healthcare professionals. It includes several ethical and moral decision making related to medical and applied ethics. Certain principles set the basics for the ethical values of doctors. These ethical dilemmas can help doctors make the best decision for their patients and talk to them about their needs and desires.
Four basic principles:
There are four basic principles related to ethical issues, which are given by Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress. Let’s discuss them in detail.
- Autonomy:
It focuses on the wishes of the patient, who work for their autonomy.
- Justice:
Treat all the patients like. Give proper time and do justice with their rights.
- Beneficence:
It works in the patient’s best interest and benefits.
- Non-maleficence:
It focuses on eliminating things that are harmful to patients.
Example of ethical issues in healthcare:
There are many ethical decisions on which a doctor has to think a lot. There can be many carelessness and disagreements related to patient’s need and health which is not justified as unlawful but simply as something against ethics. Different ethical dilemmas can help doctors make a better decision for their profession and patients. For example, if the doctor does not promise everyone to get the checkup process in a busy emergency room, speedy might be not unlawful. Still, ethically it can be a burden on the doctor’s shoulder to speed up the process.
Current five major ethical issues:
- Doctor and patient confidentiality:
According to the health insurance portability and accountability act (HIPPA), violating patient confidentiality can cause severe ethical issues. Physicians are not allowed to break any rule and regulations related to a patient’s medical record. It is a physician’s responsibility to take care of the patient’s medical record. This is a severe issue as it can cause severe harm to the patient if its identity or medical treatment plans get revealed. The patients can even put the doctor in court for this mishap.
- Do not resuscitate others:
A Do not resuscitate (DOD) is a written order by doctors for all the healthcare providers that they cannot perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation if that patient is unable to breathe correctly. They cannot commit further action without talking to a physician about the patient. This can raise severe ethical reasoning and questioning.
- Malpractice and negligence:
Medical errors are the most leading causes of death in patients. The medical profession is a high-risk nature field. All the medical staff and doctors should follow plans to avoid litigation. Sometimes doctors may take time in recognising the symptoms of patients. Still, other than this, if the doctor is doing malpractice or negligence in serving his comfort, this can raise different ethical considerations. The doctor’s license can be cancelled out due to this act. That doctor is no more able to practice for three years in the country. Other than this, causing harm to life may cost the hospital getting notorious.
- Access to care:
Not everyone is having access to care; this is becoming very common in ethical issues. It is not morally fair to provide care and assistance to everyone but not to some people. Health is a fundamental right for everyone.
- Physician-assisted suicide:
Physician-assisted suicide is considered as intentionally killing someone. Applying your knowledge to someone through which they may get harmed or killed is a kind of killing, which is regarded as a highly ethical issue. For example, suggesting poisons or some highly unconscious prescribed drugs can cause someone to be dead in some minutes. Even unnecessarily prescribed sleeping pills may be considered an ethical concern for doctors and health institutions.
Healthcare institutions can make different committees and plans to understand ethical issues and ethical decision making in doctors. They can arrangement various workshops to promote ethical awareness in the medical staff.
