Physical Therapy Ethics Case Study

Ethics is a big aspect of the department of Health and Exercise Science as well as Physical Therapy. In order for me to be an effective physical therapists in the future and a health care provider, I need to have a firm understanding of ethical standards and how to determine what is right and wrong. Fortunately, I have a good understanding of right and wrong because of the way I was raised. My parents were focused on me understanding what is right and wrong through the lens of God’s eyes rather than man’s. This was crucial when coming to college as I have been exposed to several situations that I could make the wrong decision. I have been involved in several areas that ethical standards are a must such as the classroom, the soccer field, and …show more content…
This is important when providing healthcare because your patients could be of many different backgrounds. Throughout the rest of this class, Dr. Long gave us more insight into a battling these ethical situations in healthcare. One that I remember quite well is about a boy that had ADHD and the only treatment that was working was medical marijuana. The mother did not know what else to do but to be using this medicine because nothing else would work. She had to decide whether she would have to move to another state to receive the medicine and if it was really right to be using medical marijuana. As a class, we discussed the ethical struggles in this situation. Going through these types of case studies has really given me an insight in deciding what it right and wrong even when there are gray …show more content…
As a future Physical Therapist, I will have to deal with the privacy and confidentiality of each individual patient’s care. This will involve policies such as HIPPA and FERPA and dealing with the General Medical Council (GMC). These are major aspects of ethical standards that I will be dealing with in the healthcare department. I have learned through Dr. Long’s class these policies are of utmost importance and cannot be taken lightly. Unfortunately, ethics is a topic that many people avoid because it is a gray area in the healthcare department and how people should be treated. If I do not take ethics seriously, it will not look very good on my coworkers or I and could cause controversy. In every situation that involves doing right or wrong in the healthcare department, I must look at what is ethical in the situation for me to decide what to do and if it is the best choice for everyone involved. Through this healthcare class, I have grown my understanding of this idea and how ethics should be incorporated in all aspects of