Introduction
The need to follow ethical standards and adhere to the legal principles of interaction with patients is an essential aspect of healthcare professionals’ practice. When using the example of two separate cases illustrating the lack of understanding and disagreement between medical providers and their patients, it is possible to see what measures need to be taken to eliminate any bias. As a substantiation base, findings from relevant academic sources will be taken to confirm specific hypotheses. Ethical responsibility in the healthcare sector is an important part of the relationships of stakeholders involved and requires mutual respect from both medical providers and patients.
Cases Analysis
Racial Bias
Ethical problems associated with racial bias are a major problem in the modern healthcare sphere. According to Garran and Rasmussen (2019), the patient’s prejudice towards the doctor about the race of the latter is one of the examples that are found in care facilities periodically. As the authors note, the manifestations of racism are formally addressed in medicine, which is a weighty omission (Garran & Rasmussen, 2019). The patient who makes a claim to the quality of care and wants to change her attending physician violates the ethical principle of justice, which does not provide for humiliating a person on the basis of ethnicity, gender, and other characteristics, including racial ones. Tajeu et al. (2018) cite the concept of unconscious bias that is explained by some people’s cultural background and their unintentional prejudices. However, in this case, the deliberate manifestation of unethical behavior on the part of the patient may be observed.
The situation is complicated by the fact that the attending staff physician who was present during the conflict did not show any participation in resolving the dispute. Regarding my attitude to this case from a professional perspective, I would advise senior employees to carry out explanatory work with rude patients. It would be useful to convey to her the fact that the humiliation of medical specialists’ personal dignity is unacceptable within the framework of a specific medical unit. According to Friesen and Blease (2018), in clinical settings, it is not possible to establish a proper care regimen in case of disagreements on ethical grounds. Therefore, addressing this problem is a prerequisite for the healthcare sector.
Health Justice After Incarceration
The features of providing medical services to patients after incarceration are another pressing issue. In the case given by Puglisi, Calderon, and Wang (2017), the problem of prejudice against a former prisoner is described and, in particular, the difficulties the person with a criminal record may face when in need of emergency care. The patient who has been released from prison cannot undergo a comprehensive rehabilitation course due to the lack of transport and pressure from law enforcement agencies. In this case, the ethical principles of beneficence and justice are affected since the male who made mistakes in the past has the right to rely on unbiased help. I, as a healthcare professional, would take the side of the patient and do everything possible so that he would receive adequate treatment regardless of his past. As Brinkley-Rubinstein, Sadacharan, Macmadu, and Rich (2018) argue, “those who have experienced incarceration have higher rates of infectious and chronic diseases” (p. 441). Therefore, this category of the population is at risk, and it is crucial to avoid bias that is contrary to the ethical norms of medical specialists’ work.
Conclusion
The ethics of the relationship between patients and healthcare providers is a significant aspect of the quality of medical services. In the cases reviewed, the principles of justice and beneficence are affected, and in order to prevent such violations, it is essential for each of the parties involved to be aware of the importance of a respectful attitude. Helping those in need is the key objective in the healthcare sector, and no prejudices should prevent this.
References
Brinkley-Rubinstein, L., Sadacharan, R., Macmadu, A., & Rich, J. D. (2018). Introduction to the special issue of the Journal of Urban Health on incarceration and health. Journal of Urban Health, 95(4), 441-443. Web.
Friesen, P., & Blease, C. (2018). Placebo effects and racial and ethnic health disparities: An unjust and underexplored connection. Journal of Medical Ethics, 44(11), 774-781. Web.
Garran, A. M., & Rasmussen, B. M. (2019). How should organizations respond to racism against health care workers? AMA Journal of Ethics, 21(6), E499-E504. Web.
Puglisi, L., Calderon, J. P., & Wang, E. A. (2017). What does health justice look like for people returning from incarceration? AMA Journal of Ethics, 19(9), 903-910. Web.
Tajeu, G. S., Halanych, J., Juarez, L., Stone, J., Stepanikova, I., Green, A., & Cherrington, A. L. (2018). Exploring the association of healthcare worker race and occupation with implicit and explicit racial bias. Journal of the National Medical Association, 110(5), 464-472. Web.