Unethical Behavior by Doctors

As I was browsing the internet, I stumbled across this article about medical students who felt they were pressured into acting unethically ("Study shows unethical," 2010). Researchers gathered information from Canadian medical students for the study. Some of the students saw their professors acting unethically and felt they should do the same. More than half of the students surveyed either felt pressured into acting unethically or saw their professors acting in this manner ("Study shows unethical," 2010). Students also stated that they did not feel comfortable approaching professors about ethical issues.

I found this article very disturbing. Physicians are viewed as leaders in the health care industry and it is sad when they are taught in medical school unethical behaviors. Although this study was conducted in Canada, there could be many other medical students who feel the same throughout the world. If physicians see this unethical behavior repeatedly, it may become a habit. They could also begin to think that this behavior is acceptable, especially if those they respect and learn from are displaying this behavior.

This is a very difficult situation for health care administrators. Physicians are a very critical part of our health care system and the information we receive from them is often considered valuable. Some of the unethical behaviors of physicians may be ignored if they are displaying it on a regular basis. Over time, these ethical dilemmas may be viewed as normal, especially if they are seeing this in medical school. For example, if a physician learned an unethical behavior during medical school and has been practicing medicine for 35 years, this behavior may have become a habit. If the physician is confronted, they may not think that they did nothing wrong.

As health care administrators, it is important that employees are frequently reminded of ethical standards and Code of Ethics. This can assist the administrators in educating the staff on what behaviors are considered unethical. It would also be appropriate to reeducate new physicians on ethical standards so that they are aware of what is expected of them when they begin practicing. In health care, sometimes it seems that physicians are exempt from certain standards because of their positions, but with ethics no one should be exempt.

Employees, including physicians, should feel comfortable speaking with someone regarding ethical issues. If they are struggling with the understanding what the ethical standards are, someone should be available for them. Having someone available and reeducating employees on ethical standards may prevent ethical dilemmas in the future. It is imperative employees understand and adhere to the standards of the facility in which they work. They must also fully understand the Code of Ethics and administrators should take the initiative to ensure these codes and standards are effectively communicated. They are not adhering to ethical principles and morals when employees ignore ethical standards. They could potentially harm fellow employees and patients.

Reference:

Study shows unethical behavior by doctors. (2010, March 22). Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=117549&page=1