Ethics in Health Care

Question 1

What do ethical questions focus on?

Answer 1

one’s role as a moral agent and those aspects of the situation that involve moral values, duties, quality-of-life concerns in an effort to arrive at a caring response.

Question 2

What are the three major types of ethical problems?

Answer 2

1. Moral distress
2. Ethical dilemmas
3. Locus of authroity

Question 3

When does moral distress occur?

Answer 3

Occurs when you experience emotional or cognitive discomfort, or both, because something is stopping you from doing what you know is right.

Question 4

What is a clinical example of moral distress?

Answer 4

Funding rules in a private hospital dictating how many treatments a patient receives.

Question 5

When does an ethical dilemma occur?

Answer 5

occurs when there are 2 (or more) morally correct courses of action that cannot both be followed.

Question 6

How should an ethical dilemma be resolved?

Answer 6

Find out as much information as possible to make an informed decision.

Question 7

When does a locus of authority problem arise?

Answer 7

when it is unclear WHO is the rightful moral agent to carry out the action and be held responsible for the outcome OR on reflection in the specific context of the issue, it becomes clear that the wrong person has the authority

Question 8

How should a locus of authority problem be resolved?

Answer 8

Invest energy into determining who the most appropriate moral agent is - most expertise, traditional practices, policies and guidelines and experience.

Question 9

What is nonmaleficence?

Answer 9

In a position to harm someone else

Question 10

What is beneficence

Answer 10

In a position to benefit someone else

Question 11

What is fidelity?

Answer 11

I have made a promise, explicit or implicit, to someone else

Question 12

What is autonomy?

Answer 12

I have an opportunity to exercise my freedom in a situation

Question 13

What is veracity?

Answer 13

I am in a position to tell the truth or deceive someone

Question 14

What is justice?

Answer 14

I am in a position to distribute benefits and burdens among individuals or groups

Question 15

What is paternalism?

Answer 15

I am in a position to decide for someone else

Question 16

What are the three aims of confidentiality?

Answer 16

1. Facilitate the sharing of sensitive information
2. Exclude unauthorised people from such information
3. Discern need-to-know information from mere interest in deciding what to share

Question 17

In what situations may breaching confidentiality be appropriate?

Answer 17

1. An emergency in which keeping the confidence will harm the patient.
2. The patient is incompetent or incapacitated, and a third party needs to be informed to be a surrogate decision maker
3. Third parties at serious risk of harm

Question 18

What are some practical strategies to maintain confidentiality?

Answer 18

• Do not share details with anyone out of interest
• Beware of corridor conversations
• Take care with sensitive information
• Avoid talking about patients in lunchroom
• Ask for patient permission to share info e.g. referral