Ethics problems
Locus of authority issues:
occurs when there are questions regarding who is responsible or under whose authority something falls.
Step 4—Development of a plan of action:
Make the best ethical decision from all available alternatives.
Step 6—Analysis of the outcome:
Did the plan work? Did others involved benefit?
Step 3—Analysis of the data:
List the facts.
Step 5—Institution of the plan:
Proceed with the solution.
Seven principles of biomedical ethics
Provides foundation for the code of ethics
Step 2—Isolation of the issues:
Significant vs. insignificant; values to maximize; which of the ethical principles are involved; what patient rights are being compromised; which principle of the professional code covers your behavior.
Veracity:
Telling the truth
Role fidelity:
Faithful or accurate in details
Autonomy:
a person's right to decide his or her own course of life
Dowd Model:
specifically addresses ethical problem solving as it relates to those in the medical imaging profession.
Ethical dilemma:
a type of problem created when one is faced with a situation in which there is actually more than one ethical course of action.
Beneficence:
doing good
The four most common types of ethical problems are the following:
Ethical dilemma Ethical dilemmas of justice Ethical distress Locus of authority issues
Ethical distress:
created when there is an obvious correct solution to an ethical problem but institutional constraints prohibit the correct solution from being applied.
Nonmaleficence:
doing no harm
Confidentiality:
private or privileged information not available through common sources.
Ethical dilemmas of justice:
problems that arise in association with the distribution of benefits and burdens on a societal basis. In healthcare, this involves such questions as who will receive the benefit of advanced imaging technology or how to prioritize the delivery of services.
Justice:
treatment of all with fairness and equality
Step 1—Assessment of the problem:
which type of ethical problem is occurring.