Ethics and Honesty

Honesty is one ethical principle that is violated every day. People violate this principle in their personal lives as well as in their working environment. People often do not realize the severity of dishonesty and how it could affect someone else. In health care dishonesty can turn into a serious event. For instance, if a physician chooses not to disclose a patient’s true condition to them and the patient goes untreated. This case of dishonesty can turn into negligence on the health care professional’s part.

I was reading a case in which a physician neglected to tell a patient that she had cancer because the husband asked the doctor not to (Pozgar, 2005). The doctor and the husband thought the wife’s condition would get better. The patient turned out fine for awhile but had to be admitted into the hospital again. The doctor told the husband that the patient only had a few days to live, while the patient thought she would be leaving the hospital soon. She died shortly after. The couple had kids as well. The doctor should have looked out for the rights of the patient. If I have a condition, I would like to be informed of it, especially if there are measures I need to take to improve my condition. The doctor and the husband did not give the patient a chance to put her health in her own hands.

Those who are responsible for the care of patients must understand the importance of honesty. It is better to be honest than to allow a patient’s health to be jeopardized, especially if a mistake has been made. Employees should feel comfortable informing their supervisors about the mistakes they have made. Employees should not feel that they have to cover up a mistake. Many times the mistakes can be corrected. Although in the case previously mentioned, the doctor did not make a mistake in not disclosing the patient’s condition, he had opportunities to inform the patient.

Autonomy was an ethical principle that was not recognized in this case. The patient was not given the opportunity to make her own decisions regarding her health because she was not aware of it. As mentioned previously the doctor was not honest with the patient regarding her condition. This made his acts unethical and immoral.

Health care administrators should demonstrate the behavior they expect of their employees. If they expect their employees to be honest, they should be honest as well. Employees should also have someone they can confide if they have displayed dishonesty, so that the problem can be corrected. Health care administrators must also educate employees on what could be considered dishonesty, even if it is a small case because ultimately the health care facility is responsible. Employees should also feel assured to report any acts of dishonesty that may be witnessed. If these messages are reiterated to employees, they will understand the seriousness of dishonesty and how it can affect the care given to patients.

Reference

Pozgar, George. (2005). Legal and ethical issues for health professionals. Jones & Bartlett Pub.