Healthcare professionals usually face a common problem of ethical necessities while performing their duties. Therefore, the application of moral values and ethical principles is mandatory for curbing ethical issues. Such an application of ethical principles coincides with various philosophies like non-maleficence, autonomy, justice, and beneficence. Such core principles assist healthcare experts and authorities to make good decisions, especially in resolving patients’ issues (Levitt-Rosenthal, 2013). As a case manager, the pertinent duties are to ensure patients’ betterment by providing them immense backing and support. Concerning behavioral healthcare, the foremost responsibility lies in advocating for patients. In this way, the case manager should provide resource-specific support to the patient community. Patients facing enormous challenges in the healthcare system need the reassurance of their betterment and the resolution of ongoing issues. So ethical principles like beneficence and maleficence need to be addressed effectively when the patient community shows worsening depression and an untreated disorder. Consequently, acknowledging the needs of patients and providing immediate assistance becomes the top priority of the case manager. In multiple aspects of the healthcare system like the field of addiction and recovery, mental health, and family therapy, etc., providing honest feedback enhances the patients’ faith. The acquisition of the mental and spiritual well-being of a person directly relates to timely counseling (Googhari et al., 2022). Such counseling in the healthcare system widely revolves around ethical principles. These ultimately help healthcare professionals to resolve ethical problems and dilemmas. However, this paper will explore the solution to an ethical dilemma concerning the emergency department through the application of ethical principles.
Overview of the Case Studies
CEO of the County General Hospital, Matt Losinski has concerns regarding the usage of emergency sectors by the residents. He points out the immense increase in hospital income if the respective authorities pay heed to his idea. As the county government of Texas no longer retains possession of CGH, Mr. Losinski has to convince Mary Scott, the chief financial officer. Mary Scott owes contrary opinions and Mr. Losinski tries to gather patients’ data regarding emergency admission to solidify his ideas. The finding of collected data reveals that over $200,000 are unrecovered and still massive reimbursement to the Hospital is pending. Ultimately, Mr. Losinski consults executive committee members for their response. Most of the committee members endorsed that all emergency department patients should provide treatment and stability through ongoing practices. Mr. Losinski is not satisfied with this overuse of ED and demands recommendations from senior management.
Analyzing the Ethical Issues Reported in the Case Study
This case study indicates a severe ethical dilemma among the hospital authorities regarding the overuse of the emergency department. Mr. Losinski has a firm stance concerning the increasing earnings of the hospital, however, the Chief financial officer and the committee members do not agree with the idea. Essentially, the data obtained by Taxa’s CGH pushes Mr. Losinski to coincide ideas for saving cost, increasing income structure, and ensuring future growth. Consequently losing over $200,000 annually is a massive issue for Mr. Losinski but for committee members and CFO, it is a not an issue (Darr et al., 2017). At this end, Mr. Losinski as a healthcare professional faces the dilemma of either respecting the final decision of concerned authorities or voyaging with his idea.
Analysis of the Case Study by adopting the Ethical Decision-Making Model
Moral judgment, moral awareness, and ethical behavior are various elements of ethical decision-making. In the present case study, this model has application roots for acknowledging, judging, and providing behavioral goodness. For example, morale awareness enables Mr. Losinski to identify the problem of the emergency department. In addition, the morale judgment element provides an opportunity for Mr. Losinski to execute a particular plan of action to resolve the issue. In this way, he proposed a plan based on information to enhance the income of the hospital. However, the executive committee members are morally unaware of the ongoing situation. Their refusal has evoked a dilemma and Mr. Losinski’s decision to take the issue to the senior management shows his decision-making tactic.
Impacts of Communication Approaches in the Case Study
Operative communication and appropriate communication channels are key to solving any issue (Fischhoff, 2019). Mr. Losinski handles the issue with reflective good communication skills. He tries to convince Mr. Scott with shreds of evidence and also keenly listens to him. He pays utmost attention to the committee members and listens to their concerns without any interruption. In addition, he uses proper channels to convey his ideas in a step-by-step manner to resolve the issue (Darr et al., 2017). It looks like he is well aware of communication tactics as he does not openly shows his anger on annoying responses. On the other hand, the committee members did not consider the flourished idea of enhancing the hospital’s income with open-mindedness.
Application of Ethical Principles to Resolve the Ethical Dilemma
The central ethical principles including beneficence, autonomy, justice, and non-maleficence deliver impeccable results in healthcare systems. For example, the Beneficence principle ensures the priority-based welfare of the patient community while justice guarantees fair treatment without discrimination. In under discussion case, these principles will end the dilemma by providing a strong basis for the progressed healthcare system. The beneficence may address the welfare promise to patients in CGH as pointed out by Mr. Losinski. In the same way, the principle of non-maleficence justice may ensure satisfactory services to patients by removing overcrowding. Patients’ satisfaction needs the attention of committee members to solve the issue.
Conclusion
From the above discussion, it is vivid that the application of ethical principles like beneficence, autonomy, non-maleficence, and justice is mandatory. Meanwhile, the integrated impact concerning these principles plays a pivotal role in resolving dilemmas in the healthcare system. The case study reflects the appropriate usage of ethical principles by Mr. Losinski. His concern is the satisfaction of the patient community along with the income progression for the hospital. The attitude of executive committee members shows a negative flashback of ethical principles. Finally, Mr. Losinski’s approach and proposed solution provide a strong application of ethical principles in the healthcare system.
References
Darr, K., In Farnsworth, T. J., & In Myrtle, R. C. (2017). Cases in health services
Fischhoff, B. (2019). Evaluating science communication. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(16), 7670-7675.
Googhari, Z. S., Hafezi, F., Asgari, P., & Heidari, A. (2022). The effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy on medical science students’ subjective well-being, psychological distress, and emotion regulation. Journal of Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, 24(1), 35-41.
Levitt-Rosenthal, N. (2013). Ethics, values, and decision making. Frontiers of Health Services Management, 30(1), 27-32.
