Medical Ethics Sources for your Essay

Chaplaincy and Medical Ethics


The cultural and ethnic differences are not necessarily the reason for why the female patient does not want to know her prognosis. In addition "The complexity of the truth-telling task is more acute in end-of-life decision making, when decisions must be made in a timely manner, under highly emotional circumstances, without the benefit of retrospection (Turner, 2003)

Philosophy -- Medical Ethics Issues


). What are the benefits and burdens of each? Which is closest to your own view of morality and why? Moral absolutism is the position that certain acts or forms of choices of conduct are always morally wrong, regardless of any circumstances in which those acts or choices of conduct may occur (Vaughn, 2009)

Medical Ethics -- Stem Cells


On the other hand, the field of stem cell research and technology provokes harsh criticism from those who maintain that it is immoral to experiment with fertilized human embryonic tissue, primarily because their religious beliefs that life begins at conception. Unfortunately, the branch of stem cell research that holds the greatest potential for medical advances relies on fetal stem cells, because embryonic stem cells have the greatest potential for transformation into therapeutic tissue forms, because adult stem cells are much less flexible in that regard (Park 2007)

Medical Ethics -- Stem Cells


Typically, it suggests images of quasi-human "clones" as second-class citizens or beings created for forcible slavery or scientific exploitation in the manner sometimes depicted by science fiction movies and literature. In truth, clones already live among us, because every identical twin is actually a clone of its twin (Sagan 1997)

Medical Ethics -- Stem Cells


In addition, stem cell-based therapies also provide the mechanism for creating human organs for transplant into thousands of patients who die every year before suitable donated human organ become available to them. Stem cell research even holds the key to reversing traumatic paralysis caused by accidents, war wounds, and other injuries to the spinal chord that otherwise result in lifelong paralysis and incapacity (Zuckerman 2005)

Medical Ethics and Decision Making Do Doctors


This hurts the medical profession because these doctors and others lose their credibility, and it hurts the patients because they must fight their way through a lot of information that they are now being given but still do not know really what to do with (AANE, 1999). Informed consent is such an important concept but it is often taken lightly in that there is not enough written about it and not enough of the information that has been written about it is used to actually help patients and improve the quality of their experience when they must see their doctors and have procedures performed (Bartle, Couchonnal, Canda, & Sraker, 2002)

Medical Ethics and Decision Making Do Doctors


It can be a good value for the money, lead to increased longevity, lead to a better quality of life, and many other things (Langs, 1976). Agreeing on a concise and concrete definition of quality healthcare is a sticking point for many, and until a way of determining the quality of health care can be created it is difficult to compare it to the current quality of health care in order to see if the two match up or where improvements need to be made (Bok, 1980)

Medical Ethics and Decision Making Do Doctors


Agreeing on a concise and concrete definition of quality healthcare is a sticking point for many, and until a way of determining the quality of health care can be created it is difficult to compare it to the current quality of health care in order to see if the two match up or where improvements need to be made (Bok, 1980). By creating an assessment that will allow this comparison to be made, the next step will be taken toward making sure that good quality health care is something that is available to all and that standards of care are kept high for all who need medical assistance (Campen, & DiLoreto, 2000)

Medical Ethics and Decision Making Do Doctors


Interesting enough, however, there was a strange and obvious lack of patient input in this process, which prompted some to wonder whether the patients were actually being considered and treated fairly when it came to creating a bill of rights for them and guidelines and rules that doctors would be required to follow (Spencer, Mills, Rorty, & Werhane, 1999). There were also grass roots patient movements during that time in history as groups of patients fought back against some of the things that had been done to them, information that they were not allowed to be given, and problems that could occur in the future because of what doctors were doing today (Chase, 1996)

Medical Ethics and Decision Making Do Doctors


There were also grass roots patient movements during that time in history as groups of patients fought back against some of the things that had been done to them, information that they were not allowed to be given, and problems that could occur in the future because of what doctors were doing today (Chase, 1996). Patients wanted to know how they could find out if their hospital had an ethics committee, what kind of ethics policies their doctor had, and other information along those same lines (Christopher, 1996)

Medical Ethics and Decision Making Do Doctors


Unfortunately, private insurance and the high quality of care that originally came with it is dwindling and many people cannot afford to have it (Daley, 1999). Most of those that have it are those that are retired and were fortunate enough to have good jobs through strong companies that continue to pay their insurance premiums (Cohen, 2001)

Medical Ethics and Decision Making Do Doctors


In other words, they often do not have the power to try to help their patients in the best way possible because they are unaware of some of the options that they have or are not able to find a way to get the procedure, tests, or medication covered by the health plan that the patient has (Stromwall, 2002). Concern for cost is, of course, important, but quality is more significant, and balancing these two issues fairly and completely is something that must be dealt with when the quality assessment and quality improvement issues are studied (Cox, 2002)

Medical Ethics and Decision Making Do Doctors


The same concern is expressed for those that have HMOs, PPOs, and other health care plans that are not the same as private insurance (Kleinman, 2001). Unfortunately, private insurance and the high quality of care that originally came with it is dwindling and many people cannot afford to have it (Daley, 1999)

Medical Ethics and Decision Making Do Doctors


By creating an assessment that will allow this comparison to be made, the next step will be taken toward making sure that good quality health care is something that is available to all and that standards of care are kept high for all who need medical assistance (Campen, & DiLoreto, 2000). Guidelines, Accountability, and Rapid Expansion It will also help to show the guidelines that may be needed where delicate and controversial topics are dealt with because many doctors are better than others at concepts such as 'bedside manner' (Davies, 1999)

Medical Ethics and Decision Making Do Doctors


In the new era of health care, the assessment of quality occupies an important area, especially when it comes to delicate and often controversial topics such as abortion, plastic surgery, difficult diagnoses, and assisted suicide (Witkin, 2000). While some of these topics are more controversial than others, all of them are within the realm of concern for doctors and hospitals, and whether more guidelines for these issues are needed is a focus of concern for almost all countries of the world (Denhardt, 1991)

Medical Ethics and Decision Making Do Doctors


Concern for cost is, of course, important, but quality is more significant, and balancing these two issues fairly and completely is something that must be dealt with when the quality assessment and quality improvement issues are studied (Cox, 2002). One of the most important issues, however, when it comes to quality and patient care, has to do with accountability (Doherty, 1995)

Medical Ethics and Decision Making Do Doctors


Medical Ethics and Decision Making Do Doctors Need More Guidelines? New Revolution in Ethics In 1988, what many called the 'third revolution' in medical care came about (Dunevitz, 1999)

Medical Ethics and Decision Making Do Doctors


One of the most important issues, however, when it comes to quality and patient care, has to do with accountability (Doherty, 1995). Doctors are generally accountable to the hospital that they are associated with, and to the governing board that issued their medical license (Estroff, 1995)

Medical Ethics and Decision Making Do Doctors


Doctors are generally accountable to the hospital that they are associated with, and to the governing board that issued their medical license (Estroff, 1995). The changing regulations that are being considered when it comes to quality will have the doctors finding themselves accountable to the patients as well, and to other consumers such as potential patients and employers that are considering a company health plan (Faulkner & Faulkner, 1997)

Medical Ethics and Decision Making Do Doctors


Bioethics There are many aspirational standards for those in the field of bioethics, and those who work in that field usually work toward those standards instead of looking at their actual behavior from an ethical standpoint and looking for ways to change their profession so that ethics is not such a large concern as it currently is (Freedman & Combs, 1996). These high standards are still important today, but recently some in the field have begun to see that legal requirements and enforcement are also highly important (Fitzgerald, 1989)