Applying Ethical Decision Making in Health Care

Applying Ethical Decision Making in Health Care

HLT312V

HLT-312v Week 4 Discussion 1

Should alcoholics be given liver transplants? Why or why not? What are the ethical issues involved in organ transplant?

HLT-312v Week 4 Discussion 2

Is health care a right? Should the United States have universal health care? Why or why not?

HLT-312v Week 4 Assignment – Applying Ethical Decision Making in Health Care

Details:

In preparation for this assignment, read the assigned article, “Making the Case for Ethical Decision-Making Models,” and the following case study:

Case Study

Carrie, a 26 year-old female, is admitted to the hospital following a major motor vehicle accident. She is unresponsive and on life-support machines. The physicians and staff have expressed concerns regarding her ability to recover, as she is now in a persistent vegetative state with no brain activity. Her parents believe that she will recover given time and are insistent that she continue to receive aggressive treatment. Carrie’s husband, Bob, is at her bedside. He is requesting that the physicians stop providing treatment and is adamant that keeping her on the machines is against her wishes. The patient does not have a living will or a medical power of attorney identified. As a member of the ethics committee, you have been contacted to determine the best course of action.

Assignment

Based on the article’s discussion, apply the four key aspects of decision-making models to the case study.

Write a 1-2 page letter to the attending physician and family in which you:

1. Describe the ethical dilemma.
2. Offer your recommendation for the best course of action.
3. Provide rationale for your recommendation.
4. Identify the ethical problem.
5. Gather relevant facts and information, considering others in terms of impact, views, and opinions.
6. Identify different possible options and choose and justify one option.
7. Implement the decision.

APA format is not required, but solid academic writing is expected.

You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

 

 

MORE INFO 

Applying Ethical Decision Making in Health Care

Introduction

Ethical decision making is a critical part of health care. It’s the process by which healthcare professionals make decisions that are in the best interest of patients, while protecting their interests as well. But ethical dilemmas can arise when you’re trying to apply an ethical model to your work, and they can be difficult—even life-threatening—to deal with. In this article, we’ll discuss how ethical decision making works and how to apply it in your practice.

Using an ethical decision-making model

When you’re making ethical decisions, it is important to use a model. Models help us think through the ethical issues and consequences of our decisions.

While there are many different models of ethical decision-making, one of the most popular is known as the “decision tree.” This model allows us to identify typical situations that require an action or inaction based on some standard (usually considered good). The steps in this process are:

• Identify what you’re trying to achieve (goal);

• List all possible options for achieving your goal;

• Compare each option against criteria such as costs associated with each option or benefits gained from pursuing them;

• Determine whether an action/inaction would be consistent with achieving your goal according to criteria set forth earlier;

Finding the right model

The three main models of ethical decision making are the ethical decision-making model, the ethical reasoning model, and the ethical theory model. The first two models are used by ethicists and philosophers to discuss how we should make decisions in health care settings. The third model is more closely related to legal issues in healthcare management because it focuses on concepts like “duty” and “rights.”

The most widely used of these three methods for determining what’s right or wrong when making decisions about health care is called “the empirical approach.” This approach relies heavily on research studies that have been conducted over time by experts who specialize in their fields (e.g., psychologists). For example: if you have a child with cystic fibrosis who needs treatment but your insurance doesn’t cover it, then you may want to try doing some research online before deciding whether or not this treatment will really help your child live longer than normal life expectancy would allow them do so without treatment costs being paid out of pocket instead!

Putting the model to use

You can use the model to guide your decisions, help you understand the issues and consequences of your actions and make a decision.

For example, if you are planning a medical procedure that has some ethical implications (e.g., transplanting organs from someone who had been shot), then we recommend using this framework as part of your thought process when deciding whether or not it is right for yourself or others involved in this situation.

What to do when ethical glitches occur

Ethical decisions are made when a clinician or team is faced with an ethical dilemma. These dilemmas can occur at any level of care and result in the following outcomes:

• A patient dies due to delays in diagnosis/treatment.

• A patient experiences harm (e.g., infection) as a result of inadequate treatment for a condition that could have been prevented by early intervention or detection; this harms their quality of life, making it difficult for them to lead an active life outside the hospital setting.

• A clinician fails to provide adequate education about medications or other interventions so patients are able to make informed choices about what type of care they choose from among all available options; this may result in unnecessary costs associated with these services being paid out-of-pocket by patients rather than through insurance coverage plans offered by employers or health plans/suppliers who already have built-in protections against these types fo mistakes occurring within their organization’s system(s).

Talking about ethical dilemmas

When faced with a dilemma, it’s best to talk about it with others. This can help you think through your options and make sure that you’ve considered all of them. You may want to use an ethical decision-making model like the one below:

• Checklist: List pros and cons of each option on a list (you can use Post-it notes or index cards). Be careful not to create too many lists! Once you have completed your list, go back over it and consider how each factor affected your decision-making process.

• Decision Tree: A decision tree is a visual way for people who don’t know much about ethics or healthcare issues but want some guidance on how they might weigh different factors when making decisions in their own lives or careers as professors teaching at universities where medical professionals work alongside students learning about medicine careers such as becoming physician assistants (PAs), nurse practitioners (NPs) or physician assistants/nurse practitioners.”

You can start your process by using questions as guides.

As you start your process, use the questions in this guide as guides for how to think about a decision. For example, if you’re deciding whether or not to take an antibiotic for your child’s cough, think through the following:

• What are my goals?

• What do I want?

• How will this decision help me achieve those goals?

Conclusion

The final step in applying ethical decision making is finding the right model for your situation. This can be a trial-and-error process, but it’s worth the effort. If you want to know more about ethical decision making or find out how to apply it in your job, check our website for resources and tools such as books, podcasts, webinars (with an expert speaker), and more. We hope these tips help you become an ethical health care provider sooner rather than later!