Case Study
An ethical dilemma had been considered as the clash between the two things or decisions. Dilemmas can be rise out of any situation such as behaviour or attitude or any conduct. The profession dilemma has been considered as the ethical problem that requires an individual to choose the particular course of action. In a professional dilemma, a choice is considered either right or wrong. If the choice is given than professionals must choose a right answer, other choice is unmistakable the wrong answer. In this report, the analysis of the case study of a doctor who has leak the confidential information of his client and will be analysed by applying the ethical theories. The every member included in the case study have some view in relation to the dilemma that has risen in the case and how they view this dilemma will be discussed in this report. The potential conflicts that will be analysed in this case study in view of many theories of ethics and by applying the principle of potential conflicts and points of agreement. The dilemma will also been analysed that how different people of sex, age, religion will view this dilemma. The dilemma also raises the legal issue and the professional conduct and for that, various laws shall be implied. Therefore, the best moral solution that can apply to dilemma will be discussed in this report.
Mrs M was the patient of GP and had been suffering from the strange symptom of multiple sclerosis. Mrs M realized that the she could be unaffected for some time and therefore she said to her doctor than to keep the information confidential about her disease from everyone including her family. The Doctor GP was dissatisfied with her decision as she argues that she does not wants that her children and her husband will treat her differently. GP had shared this information with her husband and her children who are also the patient of GP. Mrs M wants to look after her children and she does not want that after knowing than it will bother them about the disease.
The ethical dilemma that had raised in this case that Mr GP has done by giving the confidential information that was between the doctor and patient had been leaked. The doctor has the duty to put the information confidential of her patient. It is an object of trust and equity that the doctor has the duty in his professional context. Therefore, in this case study the dilemma has arisen between the doctor and patient relation of confidentiality, trust and equity (Dyrbye, et. al., 2015).
The dilemmas give rise to the ethical issues and In this case study there are certain ethical issues has given rise. There are certain ethical issues that has given rise in this case that the information leaked by the doctor to her family members was wrong and he had breached his professional duties towards its patient. Whether Mr GP had breached the trust of her client?. The information given by Mr GP was the question of integrity.
Ethical Issues
There are various ethical theories as the views of the will be analysed in accordance with these theories. The theories had been considered as the main framework that had been evaluated must been considered as the basic aim to develop the conditions that are behaved the conditions that had been analysed that the conditions that had been analysed that the conditions of escalation that has arrived in the circumstances that there are laws that had been analysed
The first ethical theories are the Utilitarianism ethical theory that is also called consequential theory. This Utilitarianism ethical theory is part of a normative ethical theory. The judges of this theory states the rightness and wrongness of the case is based on its consequences. The theory has the basic aim to provide greater good for a greater number of people. The theory suggests that anything that provides the good for many people shall be considered as right (Doescher, et. al., 2017). The theory of Utilitarianism that was first detailed by Jeremy Bentham an English professor. In his believe humanity has been surrounded around two things. He stated that nature has surrounded humankind by two sovereign masters that is pain and pleasure. According to Bentham, everyone wants pleasure in his or her life and no one want pain. The theory is just based on what is right and what gives the pleasure (Broad, 2014).
The second theory is the Deontological theory that is a part of normative ethical theories. The terms have arrived from the Greek words for duty (deon) and science (or study) of (logos). This theory has the opposite views than the utilitarian ethical theory. Deontological theory talks about morality and does not think about the consequences of the situation. This theory takes the morality of the party that has taken certain action and thins whether the action that had been taken is morally correct or wrong. It does not depend what will be the consequences of that action. In other words, the deontology falls within the domain of moral theories that guides what ought to do (Wald, et.al., 2015).
The third theory is virtue ethical theory has the different view than the deontological and utilitarian theory of ethics. This theory judges a person by not his action but by its behaviour. It rates the action of a person by its moral, reputational and motivation into the account. The virtue therefore analyse the action of a person that what was the reputation of a person, moral and motivation in the action. It also guides the characteristics and behaviours of a good person will seek to achieve (Han, 2015).
The dilemma had been considered by various people such as MR GP, Mrs M and Mrs M Husband and her children differently. They all may all differentiate in their views in relation to the dilemma.
In accordance with the Utilitarianism theory, that states the rightness, wrongness depends on its consequences, and it talks about the benefit of large number of people. Mr GP has done right because he has done what he thinks right and in accordance with this theory because he had think about his families and her husband. He also thinks that she is not in a condition to take the right decision as what her family can take.
Ethical Theories
Mr GP in view of Deontological theory was not correct because as per morality, he was not correct and the decision taken by him was not morally correct. MR GP view has not taken the decision consequences based on morality. Therefore, in view of Deontological theory he was wrong.
Mr GP view in Virtue theory was also wrong because as per virtue theory of ethics takes morality, behaviour and reputation into the action. As per this theory, Mr GP leaked the confidential information to her family that is the breach of trust and integrity to her patient. Therefore, in the view of virtue ethics it can be said to be correct in the virtue-based ethics.
Mrs M was not to be said to be correct in accordance with the Utilitarianism theory because the consequences about the theory. In this context the happiness of large number of people will be only there if she will been not diagnosed properly than the consequences can be very dangerous. Therefore, for the happiness of her family members it was better to have knowledge about her disease (Fees, 2016).
Mrs M was correct in view of Deontological Theory because as per morality-based consequences, she has a thought of her family and she does not want that they treat her differently. It was the reason she took the decision to hide her disease from her family.
Mrs M was also correct in view of virtue-based ethics that the relation of doctor is based on trust and integrity. Mr GP had lost her trust by leaking the confidential information to her family in accordance with this theory (Bhargava, 2017).
Mrs M husband has a different view that he may go with the Mr GP because as a husband he has a right to have an information about her wife than he has a right to have the view must been considered correct.
Mrs M children view will be different because they are unable to understand the consequences of the dilemma. Therefore hiding the information by Mrs M to her children’s was correct and Mr GP views to tell her children about the disease. Therefore, it will be not been ethical to tell children about the disease (Fallowfield, et.al, 2014).
The dilemma has taken various conflicts and various points of agreement if it has been analysed by the ethical theories. It had been analysed that there are various points on which the conflicts has arisen is leaking the confidential information, breached the trust and integrity of Mrs M. The conflicts in this case study have been arising due to the reasons that have been mentioned in the case.
However, agreement can take place on various ethical issues.
The judges of various theories have different views and as per their views dilemma will be answered. The conflicts and points of agreement can be answered with the principle that has been described below:
It is the challenging principle of profession medical ethics. It is behind the idea that patient has the right to take his own decision of his or her life including the matters of medical. It is not always in the case that has been judged and various times these relationship comes into a conflict. These days the relationship of doctor-patient has been changing in various countries (Wolf and Rosenstock, 2017).
Different Views and Stand
After a huge discussion and arguments on this topic the patient autonomy has been considered that the patients right of getting the treatment decision can take independently. It has been much more understood in the context of broader social and cultural setting. These days it was much appreciated the principle of autonomy in medical decision-making. However, the views of patients, medical students and physicians differ. As expected, various patients encountered patient autonomy issues. If it has been seen by the patient view the biggest problem is the lack of privacy. In this case, study the conflict has arisen between the Mr GP and Mrs M was of privacy. However, the practitioners are well-reputed practitioners and therefore it is not been correct to challenge them on based of ethics. Therefore, the autonomy of Mrs M confidential information has been leaked is against the patient autonomy. The patient had described the various ethical dilemmas in a day that has been distinguished in various ways that has been mentioned below (PMC, 2015).
The dilemma has been sometimes been identified by various factors such as age, gender, sex, culture. People views are different according to these factors. In the scenario presented above is a woman, who is a mother and a wife, whose confidential information had been leaked. In the view of ethics, it can be said that the woman can take his own decision as she has attained an age where she can take her own decision. Moreover she is a woman that is the other influence one have and as in relation to professional ethics that the information relating to a woman is much of care than the other patient (Niebauer, 2016).
The people have another view if there was a child instead of a woman than people have been supported a doctor GP. A child been considered by people that he cannot take his own decision in relation to medical. Therefore the dilemma has been seen by other people is different from others age (Alexander, 2018).
Based on theories of ethics, Unilateralism would have described the influence of people according to age, sex, culture and gender would never been the questioned. It sees what is correct in the scenario that is based on its consequences. Mrs M age and gender influences the more people and in accordance with this theory, she has been considered correct based on influence (Hajar, 2017).
Based on the Deontological theory the morality is an important factor than the people influence does not matter.
Based on virtue theory that is based on trust, reputation and morality where the influences will be analysed in different manner. In accordance with this the the influence of people does not a part of ethics (Wass and Southgate, 2017).
The professional conduct is said to be the regulation of members of professional bodies that is either the statutory or the professional bodies. The professional conduct is something that the practitioners have to apply in their conduct (Dimovska, Sharma and Trebble, 2016).
The doctors has the responsibility to protect, promote and in maintaining the health and safety of the public by ensuring the proper standards in the practice of medicine. There are certain responsibilities of the doctor towards it patient and that is required to be fulfilled by the doctor. The care must been provided to the patient and the all required facilities. The doctors take a Hippocratic Oath in that they swear to God that they will uphold with specific ethical standards. It is the principle of medical confidentiality and non-maleficence (Peabody, 2015).
In the case study Mr GP had violated this oath and has leaked the confidential information of her patient and on breach of his professional conduct.
There are certain laws based on the laws one can be held liable for these acts and therefore been held liable for these acts. Mr GP can be liable under for breaching the professional conduct.
The moral solution to the dilemma that has been raised in the situation that Mr GP who is having the confidential information of her patient should been taken into consideration and must not leak that information to anyone in any circumstances. The ethical theories such as deontological and virtue that states that doctor was wrong in acting morally and his cannot be justified according to these theories. The moral conduct of a doctor as per professional conduct states that the doctor must obey their professional duties and must takes the information secret of their patient. However, the patient has also moral obligation towards their family and has the obligations towards her family (Filip, et. al., 2016).
Conclusion
It can be analysed from the case study about various ethical issues that has took place in the case study. In the case study there are various ethical issues had been arrived and that issues been analysed by various ethical theories. The issues have been identified by Unilateralism theory of ethics that states the good for large number of people. The GP act has been considered right in accordance with the view and in the view of Deontological theory that states the morality into action and on that perspective Mr GP act had been considered wrong. In accordance with virtue ethics, also Mr GP act has been considered wrong, as Mr GP has lost the trust and integrity towards her patient. It has also been analysed by the Paternalism and Autonomy that the patient autonomy must been considered by the physicians. It has also been analysed that various people has been influenced in accordance with the age and gender and the community.
In context of professional conduct it has also been analysed that the doctor have some basic duties towards their patient and that must been fulfilled. The doctors take Hypothetical oath that obliges doctors to keep their patients and must provide best services. In the context of case study, it has been analysed that Mr GP has breached these professional conduct. In conclusion, the moral solution has been provided in which how the conflict can be end by applying the moral values into the conduct.
References
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