DB2 Healthcare Ethics
Ethics in healthcare refer to a set of values, beliefs or moral principles intended to guide practitioners in making decisions that affect care of patients. While offering patient care, medics are usually conscious of wrongdoing as well as the right thing. According to Faden et al. (2013), doing the right thing is the obligation of all health care practitioners since no one will find fault in their practice. Thinking critically about ethics should compel one to make the decisions that are not only fair and good but also right
Autonomy is one of the four principles that guide health care practice. In its contextual meaning, it refers to allowing patients to make decisions regarding their care. Patients are master s of their health in facilities that have embraced autonomy. As it is necessary for an individual’s worth needs to be respected, patients too have the capacity to refuse medical care and the medical personnel must not find fault. The aspect of autonomy goes beyond one’s ability to make informed decisions (Martin et al. 2014). Some patients may be admitted with a condition that requires them to be transfused with blood. Supposing they belong they belong to the Jehova’s Witness sect that does detests the healthcare practice, it will automatically be challenging to do so.
According to the autonomy principle, the patient should not be forced with the transfusion. The medical team is expected to find an alternative way that the patient will be assisted to recovery. However, since failure to transfuse a person with blood may result in death, medics have found it impossible to challenge the principle of autonomy. Healthcare practice is centered upon the premise of saving lives, in addition to its preservation when one is diagnosed with a chronic illness. As such, they are willing to challenge any ethical consideration that seems to go against what would be considered as the common good for a patient.
Other instances that would force a care giver to go against a patient’s right to make decisions about their care would be when they refuse to sign an informed consent towards surgical procedure or a scientific research on the condition they are suffering from. Certain rare conditions need to be studied so that their management may be determined. The medical team has no obligation but to allow the team conducting the research perform their task. In this case, the patient needs to be informed of the benefits of conducting the research, however much it may go against their principles.
References
Faden, R. R., Kass, N. E., Goodman, S. N., Pronovost, P., Tunis, S., & Beauchamp, T. L. (2013). An ethics framework for a learning health care system: a departure from traditional research ethics and clinical ethics. Hastings Center Report, 43(s1), S16-S27.
Martin, A. K., Tavaglione, N., & Hurst, S. (2014). Resolving the Conflict: Clarifying’Vulnerability’in Health Care Ethics. Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal, 24(1), 51-72.
