Application of Ethics Farzad Darabi Administrator
July, 2014
Purpose
This in-service addresses DHC policy on ethics
At completion each attendant will Know the definition of ethics Know how to recognize ethical concerns Know company policy on ethics and reporting requirements Know how to report ethical concerns
What is Ethics ďƒ˜
Ethics or "morals" consists of rules, habits and/or standards that the individual uses to determine the right choices, the virtuous alternatives, and the righteous behaviors. Question
Answer
What should I do?
What you ought to do
What I ought to do?
The best course of action to achieve the better consequence
How do I determine the best course?
Choose the best alternative that appeals to your conception of GOOD and your guiding principles
What is Ethics © ●
Ethics answers to: What should I do now?
Ethics refers to: Well-founded standards of right and wrong that prescribes what humans ought to do, with respect to: ●
Rights, obligations, benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues
Study and development of one’s ethical standards ●
Constant evaluation for reasonability and appropriateness
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Ethical and Legal are not the same
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Ethical standards change over time
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There are at least 24 ethical standards, and 3 major categories
Ethics Categories
Authoritative Rules / Divine Command It is commanded by a higher source Logical argument is not necessary No need to justify rules Deeply rooted in religious beliefs
Subjective Opinions / Cultural Relativism Right and wrong is a matter of opinion Based on intuition and not necessarily logical What feels emotionally right Geographical dependence and deeply rooted from cultural values
Objective Standards / Natural Law The right thing to do is whatever helps achieving a goal or standard May use natural law as a guide Situational and can use logic to justify The ends justify the means
Case Study ďƒ˜
For one week in 2012, half a million Facebook users took part in a massive psychological experiment aimed at discovering if emotions could be spread through social media. The problem? Users had no idea it was happening.
ďƒ˜
Corporations are increasingly turning to incentive programs to get employees to be more health conscious, and in turn bring down medical costs. Is there anything ethically wrong here?
Determining Ethical Concerns
Dilemma: How do you know what is ethical or unethical?
DHC has a code of conduct to minimize the guess work
Employees of DHC: Will be trained on company’s code of conduct Will not be asked to breach their personal ethical standards Must adhere to company’s code of conduct Will report ethical concerns for investigation and resolution Will participate in evaluation and modification process of ethical standards
DHC Code of Conduct
See Code of Conduct Attachment
Follow Professional Practice Standard of Ethics Nurses Therapist Social Workers Physicians
Areas of Ethical Concerns: Home Health Areas prone to ethical concerns in home health settings
Withholding or withdrawal of treatment
Unsafe home situations and patient safety
Non-adherence to treatment plan or refusal of treatments
Choosing to stay in a neglectful or abusive environment
Over or under treatment by a physician/family/caregiver
Family/caregiver participating in medical decisions
Informed consent, Advance Directives, DNR
Confidentiality and patient privacy rights
Care of patients without insurance or other payment sources
Any issue which causes an ethical conflict or moral dilemma
Areas of Ethical Concerns: Business Practices
Business practices prone to ethical concerns Marketing of services Human resources practices Admission practices Transfer practices Discharge practices, and Billing practices
Reporting Concerns
Report concerns even if not sure a violation has occurred Any person can initiate a referral for ethical evaluation DHC staff report concerns to their immediate supervisor Supervisor will fill an ethical evaluation referral form Notification Box: if you like to be notified of the progress and decision Attendance Box: if you like to attend committee meeting addressing the referral
All involved parties can attend committee meetings Advance notice required
Names will be withheld for confidentiality Meeting are documented and reported
What DHC Does The ethics committee of DHC will
Promptly address issues as they arise
Review all aspects of the issue
Request clarification of information
Secure outside assistance as needed
Consider the role of interested parties
Resolve the ethical issue according to Applicable law Community standards of practice, and Appropriate allocation of resources
Questions
Conclusion
DHC utilizes best practices in conducting business
Best practices includes uniform ethical operation
As a CTM Establish a good understanding of ethics Know company policy on ethics Help implementing company policy Stay proactive
FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION