As nursing students from day one we have always been taught to advocate for our patients and to make sure the patients are aware of all their options that they have in regards to their health care. Numerous clinical trials in the health care field have gone wrong and display how ethical principles and morals can be crossed or disregarded. These situations, although negative at the time have helped shaped the nursing field today for the better. We use the negative outcomes of previous cases to shape our practices and aid in rules and regulations to help protect the healthcare workers as well as the patients themselves. One of the major cases that raised questions in regards to ethics and morals in healthcare history is the Tuskegee Syphilis
-Autonomy: the ability to make decisions unaided by others. Or patient over a certain age has the right to refuse treatment. -Veracity: legal principle that states that a health professional should be honest and give full disclosure to the patient. Which basically means, “informed consent”.
CMA (AAMA) Core Values, American Medical Association Assistants maintains this living code of ethics document in order to help medical assistants best evolve with the changing landscape of healthcare. Medical Assisting Code of Ethics of the AAMA sets forth principles of ethical and moral conduct as they relate to the medical profession and the particular practice of medical assisting. The Medical Assisting Creed of the AAMA sets forth medical assisting statements of belief. Medical Codes of Ethics Numerous other professional organizations catering to healthcare workers also promote ethical behavior in the workplace by publishing standards of behavior.”
Ever since the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment and other similar experiments that include human subjects, the issues on patient privacy and informed consent were the central issues, which led to the three basic ethical principles as outlined in the Belmont Report. According to the report, the principles of respect of person, beneficence, and justice are the general judgement we apply as justification for ethical prescriptions and evaluations of human actions.1 Therefore, all students, researches, or healthcare professionals have to abide by these principles even though it is a difficult issue within healthcare informatics. The issue of confidentiality is very problematic indeed, especially when it relates to race/ethnicity.
Ethical theories are ways of telling right from wrong and include guidelines of how to live and act in an ethical way. For example when faced with a difficult situation in your life, you can use ethical theories to assist you in making the right decision. One key theory is consequentialism, which says that an individual’s correct moral response is related to the outcome/ consequence of the act and not its intentions/ motives. Early writers on this theory were Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill, a modern writer is Peter Singer. For example Brenda Grey has asked for the asthma specialist to visit her weekly, and to decide if this is necessary the professionals involved have to look at how it would affect her wellbeing.
(Cowey, 2012). By focussing on the four main principles, I will discuss autonomy, the right for the individual to make their own decisions regarding their health care treatment, which in this case will also involve a close connection with immediate family
The four core ethical principles that are called into question in the movie “Miss Evers’ Boys” are autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. Autonomy refers to the right of the patient to function independently and the ability to self-direct. This means that patients are entitled to decide what will happen to them, and if deemed competent, they have the right to either consent to or refuse treatment. All nurses and healthcare personal would be required to respect the patient’s wishes, even if they do not agree with them. Beneficence is the core principle that refers to the act of ‘doing good’ and advocating for the patient.
Ethical Considerations of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Navigating the Intersection of Technology and Patient Care. Veeranjineyulu Sankharapu Belhaven University Externship – ITM – 650 – 1YF1. Abstract The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within healthcare has ushered in a new era of medical innovation, significantly altering traditional practices by enhancing diagnosis, treatment methodologies, and overall patient management.
Code of Ethics The development of human needs and issues led to the establishment of the field of human services in the 1960s. An appreciation of people in all their diversity is a hallmark of human services, which assist their clients in the context of their communities and environments. Human service professionals and those who educate them promote and encourage the distinctive values and characteristics of human services. By doing so, professionals in human services uphold the ethics and integrity of their field, help clients and the community thrive, and advance their careers.
By design, healthcare is a continuously evolving industry. The rapid changes make it difficult to see when things go wrong. Whether the issues are obvious or complicated, it is easier to address when medical ethics is in place. Medical ethics can be defined as standards of conduct for a healthcare professional to carry out responsibilities with honesty, competence, respects, integrity, and trust. These moral guidelines can be interpreted by the American Medical Association (AMA) through the Principles of Medical Ethics, the Code of Ethics, and the “Declaration of Professional Responsibility: Medicine’s Social Contract with Humanity”.
Autonomy: In a healthcare setting, the right of a patient to make informed choices about their body is defined as autonomy. The moral principle of respect for autonomy directs healthcare providers to refrain from preventing patients from making their own decisions unless these choices pose serious risks to the patient or society. This means that an informed and competent patient has the ability to either accept or decline treatments, surgeries and medications. From the information gathered in the assignment case, it can be assumed that Joseph is in a rational state of mind.
Ethics Statements I shall become closer with my family, by spending more time with them during the week and weekend. I shall study more this year and put more effort into my work and homework. I shall do this by taking more time out of the day to study, and getting my homework done on time. I shall do more for my community by recycling. I shall do this by recycling the cans in my house and making sure my parents do too as well.
Unless the recent policy change of Anthem, an insurance giant in the US, is challenged in the court, more emergencies may be denied payment and the bill left in the hand of patients. The policy, although it will apply to six states, will be rolled out in all 14 states where Anthem has Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliates. The American College of Emergency Physicians and other groups asked Anthem to reconsider the policy. Dr. William Thorwarth, the CEO of the American College of Radiology, said that if doctors would not challenge the rule, other insurers will follow Anthem’s example, Naples News reported.
Ethical Complexity of Distribute Justice and Rationing Medicine is a practice based on moral standards applied to clinical values and judgments, also known as medical ethics. Ethical values consists of beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy and justice. However, these ethical principles are affected when distributive justice and rationing of health care resources are implemented “…in a world in which need is boundless but resources are not…” (Scheunemann & White, 2011, p. 1630). The historic Hippocratic Oath described the four main principles of medical practice and established a moral conduct for clinicians. Beneficence demands that health care providers develop and maintain skills and knowledge, consider individual circumstances of all patients, and strive for the patient’s benefit.
The practice of health care includes many scenarios that have to do with making adequate decisions when it comes to a patient’s life, and the way they are treated. Having an ethical code in all health care organizations is very important, because it helps health care workers with reaching a suited and ethical decision when it comes to the patient. In health care, patient will always be put first, and their autonomy will always be respected. Nevertheless, when there is a situation where a patient might be in harm, or might be making their condition worse because of the decisions they made. Health care workers will always be there to
