Ethics: An Ethical Dilemma

Question 1 Most of the suggestions on Dawn’s list raise an ethical dilemma. The first suggestion, trimming some prescription drug benefits, raises the ethical dilemma, taking unfair advantage. The reason taking unfair advantage is the ethical dilemma for the first suggestion is because trimming drug benefits is a one-sided advantage of people who may not fully understand what they are losing. The second suggestion, reducing redundant tests for terminal patients is also the ethical dilemma of taking unfair advantage because patients that are terminally ill do not understand the need for redundant testing. Continuous testing can find changes in a patient’s health before there are actual symptoms or it can find a positive change in a patient’s …show more content…
The third suggestion, hiring physician assistants to see patients but billing patients at the physician rate, is the ethical dilemmas of saying things you know are not true and violating rules. The reason this suggestion is both of these dilemmas is because the isn’t being honest when billing patients and it would lead to them violating IRS rules by not paying taxes correctly. The fourth suggestion, allowing physicians to buy shares in PCA, is the ethical dilemma of conflict of interest. The reason this is a conflict of interest is because physicians are supposed to put the interest of patients ahead of anything else, but if they are financially motivated to help the hospitals bottom line they will put the hospitals interest before the patients. The fifth suggestion, sterilizing and reusing cardiac catheters, could lead to the ethical dilemma of hiding information. The issue with this suggestion is that patients likely won’t be informed that the cardiac catheters and could lead to infections and other harmful situations for patients without their knowledge of this possibility. The sixth suggestion, instituting a one-vendor policy on hospital products to gain quantity discounts, does not have an ethical dilemma …show more content…
Please review the Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines” she then goes on to say “We have finally gone into the plus side as far as profitability. Hang on, and we’ll be able to stabilize the hospital and to make it a better place to care for patients and to work.” These two sections of the memo show the tone at the top because it is focused on the need for performance and not the need for people’s safety, while safety is discussed it is like it was a legal requirement instead of a genuine concern for people’s safety. Additionally, Nancy herself puts profitability over the concern for people in the memo by stating hang on and we’ll be able to stabilize. For the reasons discussed above the tone at the top is exacting and the corporate culture is performance