Ethical Issues in Healthcare Joanne Marie Chavez University of Phoenix HCS435 Ethical Issues in Healthcare In this paper I will be discussing four ethical issues that I believe are important to healthcare in our society. These issues are in regards to care to patients with low or no heath insurance, issues pertaining to healthcare online, counseling elderly patients and cardiac retransplantation. These issues are an ongoing debate and I believe that everyone should be aware of the information that is available to each topic. Ethical Issues in Healthcare Essay Paper

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President Obama says that health care reform is a high priority. For many of us who are not following this issue is it because we do not know what health care reform is? I know that I asked a few of my co-workers and they were stumped by this question. They have heard health care reform mentioned but do not know what it actually means. Many Americans have inadequate or no health care insurance which means that they are unable to receive high-quality medical care. High cost in health care insurance is a main reason why employers do not offer their employees health insurance. Ethical Issues in Healthcare Essay Paper

President Obama wants of create a plan where government sponsored insurance is available to anyone including those with pre-existing chronic illnesses. Republicans are opposed to this idea. They believe that not only will this health care reform cost the government more money, but if government sponsored insurance is available to everyone, most employers would opt to provide that to their employees because it would be cheaper than private insurance. Another group that opposes health care reform is the American Medical Association. Ethical Issues in Healthcare Essay Paper

Many doctors fear that they would be reimbursed in the long term just like Medicare. However, there are other doctor groups such as The American Academy of Family Physicians and the National Physicians Alliance who are supportive to health care reform. They believe that it is the public health care would be more affordable to patients and create competition in the insurance market. (E. Cohen,2008) The last ethical issue is cardiac retransplantation. There are many ethical questions that arise from this issue. Many debates are based on the amount f donor organs and the amount of money that will be spent for a second transplantation. Cardiac retransplantation occurs when a patient heart rejects the body and develops infection. Mostly due to self care where the patient does not keep up with medical appointments and medications. Utilitarianism is one ethical theory that is used to base the decision. Using this theory as a guide the decision would go to the patient with the greatest chance of good outcomes. Basically, the donor heart would go to first time beneficiaries. Ethical Issues in Healthcare Essay Paper

But if you use deontological theory which is the act of morally right if it initiates from good will, the retransplantation ought to take place since it’s the patients’ choice. Because there is no right answer, it would ultimately come to what is morally right between the physicians and the committees that are involved in cardiac retransplantation. I believe that if a patient who has received the surgery the first time and does not follow the medical direction of his physicians he should not be allowed the surgery the second time around. Ethical Issues in Healthcare Essay Paper

That patient would be taking viable organs again and who knows if the patient will take care of themselves. (Houston&Lauqure, 1992) In conclusion, these ethical debates have been going on over a process of time. No matter which way we look at these dilemmas, ultimately it comes down to the person moral values and respect for the patient decision as well. The best way to come to an agreement is to have mutual understanding of all facts and opinions that are involved. References Cohen, Elizabeth. Cable News Network CNN. (2008). What you need to know about health care reform. Retrieved from http://www. nn. com/2009/HEALTH/06/18/ep. health. reform. basics/ Lauqure, R. , & Houston, S. (1992). Ethical Concerns Regarding Cardiac Retransplantation. NursingEconomic$,10(6),413-417. Retrieved from http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=mnh&AN=1494370&site=ehost-live Fitting, M. D. (1986). Ethical Dilemmas in Counseling Elderly Adults. Journal of Counseling andDevelopment,64(5),325. Retrieved from http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=4963159&site=ehost-live Lott, L. (2009). First in the nation HMSA’s Online care goes live. HMSA Hawaii. Retrieved from. Ethical Issues in Healthcare Essay Paper

Running Head: ETHICAL AND LEGAL ISSUES IN HEALTH CARE Ethical and Legal Issues in Health Care [Writer Name] [Institute Name] ? Ethical and Legal Issues in Health Care Pharmacists offer various intermediary and vital services in medicine. Throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-first, their scope of practice, duties and responsibilities have shifted dramatically, as have the situations in which pharmacists practice (Pharmacists Defence Association, 2008, p. ). The laws pertaining to these shifting roles and increased responsibilities have failed to emerge in due time (Appelbe, 2002; Appelbe, 2009). Accordingly, they lag behind reality. For example, pharmacists provide care in case of emergencies but also suffer from lack of legal protection from malpractice in such situations, face ethical challenges relative to dispensing some forms of pharmaceuticals and providing consultations for patients (PDA, 2008, p. 2, 3).

More importantly, perhaps, the rise of large-scale pharmacies has alternately shifted the role of pharmacists in the pharmaceutical sector from owner to employee (p. 3). Even though this changed the insurance burdens for the pharmacists, it has not shielded them from civil suits (Appelbe, 2009). Rather, legal protections afforded physicians do not apply to pharmacists, in many cases (PDA, 2008, p. 2-4). This challenges pharmacists for numerous reasons especially since pharmacists find themselves in a legally marginal place while providing necessary care. Ethical Issues in Healthcare Essay Paper

Ethics, roles, and scope of practice understandably then exceed the legal recognition thereof and the protections that should be afforded pharmacists (p. 2-4). While pharmacists actively intervening within medical emergencies and providing care and/or pharmaceuticals to patients falls within the scope of duty given the ethics of the profession and their training, these interventions additionally place the pharmacists in a legally precarious place. As demonstrated by the rise in the pharmacists’ legal association, the rise in suits against pharmacists, ither employed by large stores or pharmacies and/or sole owners have illuminated the vulnerability of their intermediary role. After all, pharmacists are charged with care and dispensing medicines. They must know the differences between formulas including the emergent biologics, and “do no harm. ” Given the alternatives in medical emergencies, one must wonder whether failure to act is conversely negligence, misconduct and/or malpractice, by extension. It would more likely reflect negligence.

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References Appelbe, F. R. (2002). Law and ethics and changing jobs. Pharmcist Defence Association. Retrieved from http://www. the-pda. org/advice_centre/category. html? ac_id=2. (2009). Legal test case affects employee pharmacist. Pharmcist Defence Association. Retrieved from http://www. the-pda. org/advice_centre/articletype. html? at_id=13&ad_type=0 Pharmacist Defence Association. (2008 Fall). The launch of PDA. Insight Magazine. Retrieved From http://www. the-pda. org/pdf/insight/insight1. pd . Ethical Issues in Healthcare Essay Paper