Upload
brooke-matthews
View
216
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Ethics
Corlia van VuurenJanuary 2011
Background
Two distinct areas of ethical conduct for health care professionals:
• Professional behaviour/professional conduct
• Research
Background (cont’d)
Reasons for the development of ethical rules/principles
• Inhumane research conducted, e.g.:
• World War II (Nuremberg code)
• Tuskegee study in syphilis
• Medical advancement
Ethical cornerstones
Ethical principles
Human rights
Medical
law
Ethical principles
• The right of patients to self-determination or to make their own informed choices, and to live their lives by their own beliefs, values and preferences.
Autonomy/ Respect others
Ethical principles(cont’d)
• Deals with actions that are in the best interest of the patients even when the interests of the patient conflict with the health care professionals’ own personal self-interest.
Beneficence/ Do good
Ethical principles(cont’d)
• Implies that health care professionals should not harm or act against the best interests of patients, even when the interests of the patients conflict with their own self-interest.
Non-maleficence/
Avoid harm to others
Ethical principles(cont’d)
• Health care professionals should treat all individuals and groups in an impartial, fair and just manner.Justice/ Be
fair
Ethical principles(cont’d)
• The quality or state of being of sound moral principle; uprightness, honesty, and sincerity.
Integrity
Ethical principles(cont’d)
• Freedom from deceit or falseness
• The quality of being authentic (genuine, real)Truthfulness
Ethical principles(cont’d)
• Sorrow for the sufferings or trouble of another or others, accompanied by an urge to help.
Compassion
Ethical principles(cont’d)
• Being tolerant, especially of views, beliefs, practices of others that differ from one's own
• Freedom from prejudice• The ability to endureTolerance
Ethical principles(cont’d)
• ?Philosophy vs Religion
Ethical cornerstones
Ethical principles
Human rights
Medical
law
Human rights
Human dignity
Patients’ rights charter
Patients’ responsibilities
Human rights (cont’d)
• What is human dignity?
• Useful or useless?Human dignity
Human rights (cont’d)
• Healthy and safe environment• Participation in decision-making• Access to health care• Knowledge of health
insurance/medical aid • Choice of health services• Treated by a named health care
professional
Patients’ rights charter
Human rights (cont’d)
• Informed consent• Refusal of treatment• A second opinion• Continuity of care• Complaints about health services• Confidentiality and privacy
Patients’ rights charter
(cont’d)
Human rights (cont’d)
• To take care of his or her own health
• To care for and protect the environment
• To respect the rights of other patients and health care providers
• To utilise the health care system properly and not to abuse it
Patients’ responsibilities
Human rights (cont’d)
• To know his or her local health services and what they offer
• To provide health care providers with relevant and accurate information for diagnostic, treatment, rehabilitation or counseling purposes.
Patients’ responsibilities
(cont’d)
Human rights (cont’d)
• To advise health care providers of his or her wishes with regard to his or her death.
• To comply with the prescribed treatment or rehabilitation procedures.
• To enquire about the related costs of treatment and/or rehabilitation and to arrange for payment.
Patients’ responsibilities
(cont’d)
Human rights (cont’d)
• To take care of the health records in his or her possession.
Patients’ responsibilities
(cont’d)
Ethical cornerstones
Ethical principles
Human rights
Medical
law
Medical law
Responsibilities of health care professionals
To patients
To other health care professionals
To themselves
To society
To the profession
To the environment
Human rights (cont’d)
• Act in the patients’ best interests when making referrals and providing/ arranging treatment.
• Treat patients referred to them in the same manner in which they would treat their own patients.
Health care professionals’
responsibilities to other health care
professionals
Human rights (cont’d)
• Maintain and improve the standard of their performance by keeping their professional knowledge and skills up to date throughout their working life.
• Acknowledge the limits of their professional knowledge and competence.
Health care professionals’
responsibilities to themselves
Human rights (cont’d)
• Keep accurate and up-to-date patient records.
• Refrain from engaging in activities that may affect their health and lead to impairment.
Health care professionals’
responsibilities to themselves
(cont’d)
Human rights (cont’d)
• Ensure that staff members employed by them are trained to respect patients’ rights; in particular the right to confidentiality.
Health care professionals’
responsibilities to themselves
(cont’d)
Conclusion
Did we act ethically??
Thank you
Questions