ethical scenarios Flashcards
How do you approach navigating ethical dilemmas in your personal and professional life?
T&P- talk about situation ethics and utilitarianism
Apply them to real life- do what benefits most, do most loving thing
Professional- follow guidelines set in place, pillars of medial ethics
Can you describe a time when you had to make a difficult ethical decision?
- reporting friend’s self harm to teacher- choosing whether to protect friends feelings or wellbeing-told teacher and got help
- important to always prioritise patient wellbeing
- ethical decisions examples:
- reporting patient who practices dangerous habits e.g drugs, infectious disease- have to maintain patient confidentiality whilst also considering risk to public health
- sedating unco-operative patient- risks and benefits of anasthesia- research project
How do you approach balancing patient autonomy and well-being with legal and ethical obligations as a dentist?
- essential to respect patient’s choices and right to make informed decisions about own care
- must provide necessary info about treatment options, risks and benefits
- ensure care is safe, patient safety comes first- adhere to clinical guidelines and regulations
-if a patient’s choice may lead to harm, dentist must find a way to communicate their concerns whilst respecting patient autonomy.
- engage in open discussions, answer questions
Can you describe a time when you had to navigate an ethical dilemma related to patient confidentiality or privacy?
How do you approach managing conflicts of interest or bias?
- recognise when personal interests may influence professional decisions
- evaluate different interests and reasons for bias, see if they can have a positive use
- establish clear guidelines can help mitigate bias- in healthcare, doctors restrain from sharing personal views and ensure treat all patients equally- pillar of justice
- communication- create friendly environment where people are encouraged to speak up about concerns
Can you describe a time when you had to address an ethical or professional violation within a team?
How do you approach ensuring that your values and beliefs do not interfere with your professional obligations as a dentist?
- pillar of justice- treat all patients equally even if my personal interests conflict with that
- patient safety is top priority- put my personal views aside
- patient autonomy- always respect the patient’s choices even if i believe opposite,ensure they have necessary information, treatment, risks, benefits
Can you describe a time when you had to advocate for a patient’s needs or rights in an ethical or legal context?
How do you approach understanding the ethical implications of new developments in the field of dentistry?
Important to stay up to date with new advancements
- research- current guidelines and case studies related to new tech or practices- understand benefits and risks
- consult ethical guidelines- refer to established ethical frameworks- 4 pillars- GDC guidelines- provide guidance on new challenges
- discussions- share insights with colleagues
Can you describe a time when you had to reflect on your own biases and assumptions related to dental care?
- assumption that many dental issues due to negligence, lack of knowledge, not going to dentist
- during WE, witnessed that many patients deal with barriers
- with special needs- struggle to care for own teeth, struggle to visit dentist- talk about patient in car
- financial constraints- go to NHS but long waiting times
- limited access to dental care
- reflection: importance of never judging patients
- adapt communication and treatment plans to better meet unique needs
- began to research methods of providing dental care for patients with barriers- sedation
- important to reflect on biases to ensure all patients treated fairly, provide compassionate care, understand patient’s background- cultural sensitivity
Should all dentists have good teeth?
No- could be really good at job but not have great teeth-could be genetic disorder, not necessarily controlled things such as bad diet or brushing
Yes- encourages patients to also care for teeth, patient may judge if dentist telling them to care for teeth when their own teeth are not great
If you notice that a colleague has turned up to work drunk, what would you do?
- talk to them ask if they feel okay, inform them the right thing to do is go home to prevent compromising patient safety
- try to reschedule appointments they had and apologise to patients for inconvenience
Who can you escalate concerns to within a practice?
- practice manager- share concerns, in charge so may have more experience of what to do in specific situations
- team member- share insights and see if they also have the same concern, discuss what the best thing to do is
