Transcript MEDICAL ETHICS What do you think?

MEDICAL ETHICS
What do you think?
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What qualities do you “expect” a health care
professional to have
How do you want to be treated?
QUALITIES OF A HEALTH CARE
PROFESSIONAL
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Patience
Tact
Honesty
Dependable
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Competent
Responsible
Team player
Communication
Empathy
How do YOU define Ethics
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The science of human duty
A system of moral principles or standards
that govern our behavior, whether true or
false
Rules of practice in respect to a single class
of human actions
Motivation based on IDEAS of right and
wrong
The focus of Ethics is moral situations
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Situations in which there is a CHOICE of
behavior involving human values
…. SO what shapes a persons VALUES????
VALUES
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CULTURE
SOCIAL
RELIGION
EXPERIENCE
MUCH MORE….
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Where are your values? Alligator River Story!
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Why do we need to evaluate ethics in
medicine?
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To help us reach a sound decision and to
seek common ground
…while…
Allowing for different views and cultural
differences without having to adopt all views
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“In a real arena of health care, where
families, patients, and practitioners meet,
there are new issues constantly occurring,
and there is unprecedented control over life
and death. RARELY is there only one
answer, RARELY is it comfortable, and
RARELY is it enough”
How to approach an ethical dilemma
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Goal: to avoid bringing forth
a prefabricated, all purpose
answer, one that is easy and
requires no emotional stand
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1- Be aware of first
impressions
2- Consider others views
and the arguments used to
support them
3- Keep your thinking
flexible
4- Express your judgment
precisely and explain the
reasoning underlying it
5- Live with your decision
And don’t second-guess
yourself!!
Just a little advice…
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“Whatever you do in life, do it with integrity.
You are preparing for the tests of life. If you
cheat, if you don’t play fair or follow the rules,
if you win by hurting others, then you have
failed the test. You have won a “false”
victory, a coward’s victory. It is hollow and
the rewards are cheap”
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What are some Ethical Issues in health care
today?
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Issues that do NOT have ONE correct answer
Issues that are based on a persons Values
Unethical or Ethical
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Part of your job involves working on a
computer. Through your computer you can
access solitaire and several other games.
Occasionally, you stop work to play for 10-15
min. Is this right or wrong?
Unethical or Ethical
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You have overslept one morning and arrive
to work (school) 20 minutes late. You know
your boss (teacher) will not tolerate lateness
so you decide to tell him you had car trouble
and got stuck in traffic.
What would you do in the following
situations to maintain legal and ethical
responsibility as a health care
professional
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A patient offers you a tip as they leave the
hospital
A patient dying of cancer tells you that he
has saved a supply of sleeping pills and
intends to commit suicide
Everyone is at lunch & a patient needs a pain
pill. You are not authorized to give it,
however the meds have been measured and
is in the patients drawer waiting
Put Yourself on the Line
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Strongly Agree, agree, disagree, Strongly disagree
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AIDS status should be kept strictly confidential in the
health care setting.
You have the right to know if your dentist has AIDS.
Mandatory drug testing is an invasion of an
individual’s privacy at the workplace
Using the technology we have today couples should
have the right to determine the sex of their offspring
All Americans should have equal access to health
care.