Ethics and regulations in a medical setting
Ethics and regulations in a medical setting are of great importance as it makes health professionals deliver exceptional services to the patients. Through healthcare ethics and rules, medics can solve various medical issues about the health of every individual. However, in any medical setting, practitioners analyze the views of the patients before they begin any treatment. Therefore, through ethics and regulations, medical professionals analyze patient capacity to help them deliver successful treatment.
Medical practitioners experience challenging events in the line of duty that can affect the life of a patient. Therefore, medical centers employ the use of various ethical principles to help counter vices experienced by health professionals. Firstly, the principle of autonomy enables the patient to decide on the type of medical care they want (Furlong, 2018). From the patient’s decision, the health provider is unable to turn down the individual’s perceptions. For instance, some patients fear injections; hence they can suggest having oral administration of drugs. In other words, the doctor can provide his perspective on why the patient requires a needle rather than oral medicine. In this case, the doctor can educate patients on the correct procedure but not insist on a specific methodology which is contrary to the patient.
Secondly, patients require justice during treatment. Medical practitioners need to have a compassionate heart when treating the patients as their lives lie on their hands. In case of any harm to the patient, the doctor becomes accountable. Most vices of negligence usually occur among medical practitioners, which raises a series of questions. For instance, some doctors do cover up the mistakes they do, which later denies the victim justice (Furlong, 2018). Such issues need serious intervention to prevent them from spreading. Thirdly, the principle of “beneficence” requires medical providers to have the best interest for the patients (Furlong, 2018). Medical practitioners can have direct engagement with patients and offer motivational support and advice. Also, physicians can provide support to the patients without inflicting harm on them, which might endanger their life.
Medics should portray good qualities to the patients they are treating. The principle of “non-malfeasance” enables doctors not to inflict any harm to the patient (Furlong, 2018). The damage inflicted by the doctor can be of many forms, such as physical abuse and emotional harm. In some cases, doctors can be too aggressive to the patients they treat, making them panic. Also, doctors can intentionally cause physical damage that can endanger the life of the patient. Also, some harm occurs due to negligence from the health providers. In this case, health providers may tend to omit specific guidelines and instructions used in the treatment of patients hence may be life-threatening situations (Furlong, 2018). It is crucial for policymakers in a healthcare institution to put in place officers of integrity that would manage various sectors that are directly or indirectly attached to the patients. For instance, some officers can take advantage of the management of finance and overcharge the vulnerable patients.
Moreover, the aspect of having consent is vital for patients as they permit doctors before a given operation occurs. However, the principle of consent falls among the ethics of healthcare. For instance, before doctors conduct a treatment procedure, they need to inform the patient about the processes and its consequences (NHS, 2019). It is unethical to force a patient to get treatment if it is against his or her will. However, doctors may curtail informed consent and deliver therapy to the individual. These scenarios occur in case of an emergency to save the patient’s life and safety. Besides, NHS (2019) suggests that situations that can lead to forceful treatment include altered mental status, treatment for children, and if one is a threat to the community and requires isolation for an infectious disease.
Patients also need a productive capacity for receiving medical care. Capacity means that an individual can understand given information that can prompt him in making an informed decision towards getting medical attention (NHS, 2019). However, adults may lack capacity due to various reasons such as shock, panic, fatigue, and due to medications. Also, from cases of “schizophrenia,” an adult may be at a situation where he is unable to differentiate between reality and fantasy hence is unable to make decisions (NHS, 2019). Such scenarios can make an adult lose his capacity for medical attention, thus requires intervention from medical personnel.
Medical ethics and regulations are essential features of any medical institution as it gives a proper directive to practitioners on how to work on the healthcare environment. Various principles such as justice, autonomy, non-maleficence, and beneficence are what keeps the practitioners on track towards achieving a positive medical environment to patients. However, the aspect of consent and adult capacity also affects the delivery of medical attention to patients. Therefore, medical practitioners must take heed of such matters towards achieving a healthy environment.