ETHICAL PUBLIC HEALTH POLICIES
For this Discussion, you will examine ethical “duty to care” public policies and the serious dilemmas that confront public policy makers, administrators, and nonprofit administrators. Consider the following questions as it applies to your “duty of care” during a public health event. Is it ever acceptable for medical professionals or organizations to either refuse or impose medical treatments for any reason, ranging from their personal health concerns to religious beliefs? If so, under what conditions? Should health-care providers be penalized? If so, how?
RESOURCES
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
WEEKLY RESOURCES
To prepare:
Review this week’s Learning Resources, as well as the case studies presented and appraise each of them.
BY DAY 3
Select two of the case studies presented below. In approximately 200 words, create a post in which you apply the four ethical principles of health-care administrators and providers (i.e., autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice) based on the case studies you selected:
Case Study 1: Kate, the pregnant patient:
Summarize the general responsibilities that managers of faith-based health-care systems have to their organization, their medical staff, and their patients.
Describe the specific ethical action(s) that one or more members of the hospital should take to care for Kate.
Case Study 2: Abdul, the injured Muslim
Summarize the medical ethics policies and procedures that EMT directors must consider.
Identify each of the stakeholders in this scenario and the degree to which should be involved in any decision making.
Explain and defend specific ethical actions that EMTs should take to care for Abdul.
Case Study 3: The President and Vaccine Mandates
Identify how the ethical principles governing health-care administrators support the president’s decision or how those principles are negated by such a decision.
Is refusing to be vaccinated a moral act? An ethical choice? Why, or why not?
Assuming such a point exists, when does autonomy become secondary to the greater good?
Case Study 4: Fatimah, the critical care physician
Summarize the general ethical responsibilities of critical-care professionals to support the health of their patients, colleagues, and others.
Identify the stakeholders in this situation. Defend the specific ethical actions that Fatimah should take to care for them.
Support your postings and responses with specific references to the resources.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.