HCS/545
September 10, 2012
University of Phoenix
Ethical Health Care Issues
When working with patients and their families, the health care professionals occasionally will face unpopular and difficult decisions that relates to medical treatments which questions moral issues such as religious beliefs and even professional guidelines of ethical or not. Health care ethics is used as a parameter for staff to exemplify the standards of the proper ethics and provide the imaginary ethics road map to success when speaking to patients and families about choices based on beliefs, values, health, and possibly in the end death. When dealing with moral issues in this manner it becomes even more complex.
An example of a conflict of interest with a health care employee can exists when an employee is influenced, whether consciously or unconsciously, by some form of financial or personal gain. This proves their self-interest and lack of morals when it comes to the good of the company. With a profit-driven organization the normal motive for the presence of an ethical struggle is generally linked to some practice of individual economic contemplations. A statement made by the American College of Physicians showed that “physicians meet industry representatives at the office and at professional meetings, collaborate in community-based research, and develop or invest in health-related industries. In all of these spheres, partnered activities often offer important opportunities to advance medical knowledge and patient care, but they also create an opportunity for the introduction of bias” (Mitnick, 2010). Some professionals are granted privileges that include things like the influence to set scholastic and principled standards. This ability permits the preservation of their competence and creates a trustworthy and ethical employee. Now this employee is beneficial to the patients and the society.
References: Americas. (2009-2010). Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Healthcare &, 1-76. HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT Conference Paper Abstracts. (2010). Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings, 1-38. doi:10.5465/AMBPP.2010.54503723 medicinenet. (2011, april 27). Definition of noncompliance. Retrieved from http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=10159 Mitnick, S., Leffler, C., & Hood, V. (2010). Family caregivers, patients and physicians: ethical guidance to optimize relationships. Journal Of General Internal Medicine, 25(3), 255-260. Stephenson, J. (2001). Human biological materials in research: ethical issues and the role of stewardship in minimizing research risks. Advances in Nursing Science, 24(2), 32-46.