Week 8 Health science 410

QUESTION ONE:

In chapter 9, you read about how both these issues impact professionals from many fields of practice. 

Select a field OTHER THAN your own from the list below. 

Do a search in the popular press to an ethical lapse in the news pertaining to a person from that career. Explore this issue, delineate both legal and ethical issues. You should refer to the law, licensure/practice act, and the appropriate code of ethics. 

Look online for links to codes of ethics and regulatory agencies for your selection of profession. Use these to help develop your arguments. 

(Do not choose physician as we will be looking at them in Question 2 and in an upcoming week.)

chiropractor

dentist

dietitian

laboratory medical technologists

medical assistant

paramedic

pharmacist

physical therapist/or assistant

psychologist

radiology technologist

registered nurse

respiratory therapist

social workers

In summary:

-select a health career not your own, (and not physician)

-search the popular press for a story about an ethical and legal lapse by someone from this profession.

-explore BOTH the legal and ethical issues involved.

QUESTION TWO

This Module focused on how physicians and other health career professionals are impacted by legal and ethical issues. We should be very cognizant of how the behaviors of these professionals, whether they are on or off duty, affect how the public perceives the profession: i.e., unethical and possibly illegal activities can give medicine a bad name.

We also find that well-intentioned laws or regulations can lead to unintended results.

Included in our readings are:

-a New York Times analysis of the 30-day rule for patients after surgery. Think about how this regulation, intended to be a monitoring device, has been used in ways not intended.

The ethics and legal (and remember, legal issues are criminal, civil, and regulatory) issues in this case are profound.

-The Atlantic Monthly article looks at the issues of opt-out, where pharmacists and other health professionals opting out of filling prescriptions they feel are against their religious beliefs. This article goes in depth on the history of these issues.

-The Hastings Center researches bio-ethics. Explore the website, scan a few of the briefings, and select one to read in depth. 

FOR THE DISCUSSION FORUM:

After reading the two articles and exploring the Hastings website, select ONE (Atlantic, NYTimes, or Hastings) to analyze using Pozgar chapter 10 to help you delineate the ethical and legal issues involved.

How does the behavior of health care professionals use/abuse the concepts of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice? How may paternalism come to play?

Be creative in your approach, feel free to explore your own misgivings if you wish.