APA Code Of Ethics And RIPS Model

According to the RIPS Model, an ethical decision making guide for physical therapists, an ethical dilemma is when, “Two alternative courses of action may be taken, both of which fulfill an important duty, and it is not possible to fulfill both obligations.” In the field of physical therapy, like other healthcare fields, ethical decisions are made daily. There is a variety of situations that put physical therapists in uncomfortable positions. These range from confidentiality codes to more complex situations involving health insurance and billing. Ultimately, the physical therapist must use their own judgment, but the Physical Therapy Code of Ethics and RIPS Model of Ethical Decision Making both serve as a guide for determining the best course

The Realm-Individual Process-Situation (RIPS) Model of Ethical Decision Making is another guide for physical therapists to use when assessing an ethical dilemma. The RIPS Model is composed of four steps: (1) Recognize and Define ethical issues, (2) Reflect, (3) Decide the right thing to do, and finally (4) Implement, Evaluate, and Re-assess. First, the physical therapist should recognize that there is an ethical decision to be made. Also, they categorize the problem into a “realm.” There are three realms: the individual realm (concerned with the good of the patient), the organizational/institutional realm (concerned with the good of the organization), and the societal realm (concerned with the common good). The physical therapist decides which realm is the most important in the particular ethical dilemma and then bases their actions on the decided realm. Next, the physical therapist reflects on the options. Then, they decide what to do. The RIPS Model offers a series of questions that helps decide whether an action is appropriate or not. They include: Does this action break any laws? Does it break the APTA Code of Ethics? Does the situation feel wrong? Will you feel discomfort if the information becomes public? What would your parents do? After answering these questions, the solution to the ethical dilemma should become more clear. Finally, the last step is to implement the plan and be flexible enough to change it if need be. With the combined use of the APTA Code of Ethics and the RIPS Model, physical therapists have the tools required to make sound ethical