Patient Autonomy and Consent - Essay Example

? PATIENT AUTONOMY AND CONSENT Task Outline I. Introduction II. Patient autonomy, consent and interprofessional team work. III. Maintaining autonomy by gaining consent and working as team member in professional healthcare IV. conclusion Patient Autonomy and Consent I. Introduction Healthcare practice entails the provision of medical services to individuals in order to maintain their wellbeing. Usually, professionals referred to as healthcare practitioners carry out this exercise in accordance to the requirements of the law (Leino-Kilpi 2000). In most circumstances, these professionals are trained individuals who have acquired the skills required in the delivery of medical services. While on duty, medics usually conduct procedures that require professionalism throughout operations (Leino-Kilpi 2000). Some of these activities include critical clinical procedures like performing surgery or administering therapy to a patient. Moreover, for a practitioner to carry out his duties effectively, he has to consider the consent of his patent. This is before deciding on the best medication procedure to administer in a given situation. This is normally conducted while adhering to the legal requirements of the realm of the concerned areas. Therefore, a practitioner needs to maintain autonomy by gaining consent and working as a team member as discussed in this paper. II. Patient autonomy, consent and interprofessional team work. According to Tauber (2012) and Bowman & Spicer (2007), working as a team is very critical when it comes to delivery of healthcare services to the public. In teamwork, consultations with the stakeholders in all situations ensure smooth management of operations within medical facilities. Therefore, as a healthcare professional, there are certain guidelines that I will adhere to in ensuring autonomy while gaining consent from clients, who are patients in this case. In this process, everyone involved is part of a team whereas he is allowed to retain his autonomy as long as he works in line with the set code of ethics. At first, in maintaining autonomy, a practitioner should ensure that he meets the qualifications of healthcare practice before he engages in the provision of healthcare service. Leino-Kilpi (2000) asserts that the practitioner has to uphold integrity as part of his obligations. At times, he should ensure the use of correct equipments when performing medical procedures. In most cases, the person will use modernized medical facilities that are up to standards in terms of delivering quality (Cobb, Puchlaski, Christina & Rumbold 2012). Emphasis is attached on specialization for practitioners who would prefer to deal with critical issues of healthcare, for example, handling patients suffering from chronic illnesses such as tuberculosis, asthma or cancer. It is mandatory to use a more inclusive approach in healthcare to avoid conflicting of ideologies within medical facilities. In doing this, the doctor patient relationship needs to be enhanced for the benefit of all involved as stated by Stone (2012). In addition to providing medical services to patients, practitioners are also required to educate the public on measures of handling their healthcare issues. They can spearhead this by organizing functions such as seminars in which they will liaise with other professionals on coming up with new strategies of maintaining their autonomy. This is while practicing in the healthcare profession. Moreover, the public will be advised on how to maintain high standards of hygiene (James 2004). Indeed, practitioners who have served for quite sometimes and are more experienced in healthcare issues will be instrumental in enhancing the autonomy of new recruit practitioners. More to the point, governments and other authorities are required to support individual practitioners who plan to undertake the profession to a higher level. This will happen effectively through an initiative from registered practitioners. Consequently, a practitioner’s urge to protect the rights of his patients will be considered regardless of his cultural perceptions (Stone 2012). III. Maintaining autonomy by gaining consent and working as a team member in professional healthcare It is fundamental to provide counselling services to all the patients regardless of their social status and ailments as a practitioner. This will be the procedure before administering medication in any situation for a patient (Schermer 2002). In circumstances where a patient’s choice for medication is not beneficial to their preferences, it is imperative to use a personalized based approach in advising the patient on strategies to follow and the long-term benefits he might gain in doing so. Primarily, conducting duties with honesty allows a practitioner to advise patients accordingly in cases where they lack information on a certain medical procedure or a service on offer (Strauss, Sengupta, Sandra, & Goeppinger 2001). Furthermore, a practitioner should not disclose information concerning patients’ status without their permission. There will be an enhancement of confidentiality of information in cases where a patient’s data on health matters can be used to his disadvantage. Wisdom will be required from the practitioner at this stage to juggle autonomy and beneficence when handling critical decisions of healthcare. I will ensure that the patient voluntarily makes a choice of the treatment method he prefers when he has sufficient knowledge of what is involved in administering that therapy (Schermer 2000) James, 2004). Lastly, observational studies of my successful procedures in healthcare will be documented to serve as a guide to future demands from the same procedures. I will embrace diversity by appreciating differences in ideologies; for example, I will appreciate certain cultural practices that will positively influence the delivery of healthcare services. Evidently, religious views will be critical in situations where a conflict of ideologies exists. Most of my decisions will be objective to avoid confusion when planning for the delivery of healthcare services (Beauchamp & Childress 2007). As evident in the above strategies, patients volunteering information will be integral in maintaining autonomy for the delivery of healthcare services. Moreover, I will serve by avoiding fidelity and telling lies to patients and other stakeholders in healthcare practice. My terms of services will adhere to agreements made upon swearing the oath (Leino-Kilpi 2000). In general, my practice will avoid interfering with autonomy of individuals of different backgrounds while delivering healthcare. In clinical consent, there are elements that are integral throughout operations focusing on the provision of care. Initially, information is important whether it reflects the real situation or not. In most cases, a patient’s consent is used in coming up with decisions on issues of treatment. Leino-Kilpi, (2000) further asserts that the patient has to know what a practitioner is planning with regard to the treatment process. In this process, I will clearly indicate to the patient the details of any medical procedure to be conducted in a given case. The ethics of approval indicates that a patient will decide on the approach that she feels is best suited to solve his problem. As such, I will not judge my patient’s decision but instead inform him patients of the pros and cons and then let him decide on his own (Strauss 2001). Patients under my care will have a choice to reject or embrace my advice. Indeed, I will encourage them to solicit information from other healthcare organizations that provide credible information to the public (Strauss 2001). To some extent, I will welcome decisions made in consultation with the family members of the patient during my practice but with caution. Indeed, it is appropriate to allow the law will interfere with my practice since it deals with critical issues that require urgency and may be beyond my understanding. This will be in congruence with the legal requirements of the specific realm where one is practicing healthcare. According Bowman & Spicer (2007), consent is often denied when the person in question is a toddler. For such a situation, consultation of the guardian will be required. As a professional, I will make a decision based on the best judgment possible. This can happen for issues such as deciding when to vaccinate a child. My practice will entail caring for patients with mental challenges without discrimination. I will seek support from other qualified practitioners who can advise on issues relating to intellectually challenged patients. The consent of a patient will be integral while conducting operations. Moreover, I will have to consult patients when administering any form of medication to them. A person’s view will be incorporated in making decisions concerning issues of healthcare. Lastly, I will use different approaches in obtaining patients consent in the practice of healthcare. According to Leino-Kilpi (2000), discipline will be integral during my duties in an effort to improving the patient’s conditions. I will equally simplify the processes involved. In addition, I will build trust from my clients and the public at large. I will use ideas from previous practitioners who achieved credibility in their practice in gaining consent of the clients. I will also consult the legislative authorities to determine the requirements when providing healthcare services. Furthermore, all my patients will be treated appropriately to avoid unethical practiced that may destroy my reputation in practicing healthcare. As stated by Webb (2005), I will embrace the culture of inter professional teamwork when intending to serve the interests of the public at large (Ellis 2000). Attending debates and sessions on team building will equally constitute my duties. Likewise, I can decide whether to join other practitioners associations such as the board of medical associates. IV. Conclusion Professionalism in healthcare is integral for any practitioner who intends to gain consent from the public. Teamwork and coordination have to be adopted to ensure the practice proceeds effectively (Webb 2005). Legal procedures are fundamental and crucial before making any decision concerning healthcare practice. Indeed, maintaining consent is a continuous strategy, which requires time and experience. In modern medicine, regulatory institutions have ensured that all professionals are aware of the constituents of autonomy. As one gets consent from the public, autonomy will be beneficial to all stakeholders when adhered to correctly. As a result, inter professional teamwork will be key and integral for me to develop my practice. List of references Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J F 2001, Principles of biomedical ethics. New York, Oxford University Press. Bowman, D, & Spicer, J 2007, Primary care ethics. Oxford, Radcliffe. Cobb, R, Puchlaski, Christina M, & Rumbold, Bruce, 2012, Oxford Textbook of Spirituality in Healthcare. Oxford Univ Pr. Ellis, J. R., & Hartley, C 2004, Nursing in today's world: trends, issues & management. Philadelphia, Penns, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. James, S 2004, "Autonomy and Informed Consent: A Much Misunderstood Relationship", Journal of Value Inquiry, vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 383-391. Leino-Kilpi, H 2000, Patient's autonomy, privacy and informed consent, Amsterdam, IOS Press, Stone, J 2002, An Ethical Framework for Complementary and Alternative Therapists. Routledge. Strauss, R.P, Sengupta, S, Sandra, C, & Goeppinger, P 2001, "The role of community advisory boards: Involving communities in the informed consent process", American Journal of Public Health, vol. 91, no. 12, pp. 1938-43. Tauber, A, 2012, Patient Autonomy and the Ethics of Responsibility. The MIT Press. 24 may 2012. Viewed at http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=10691 Webb, P 2005, Ethical issues in palliative care. Abingdon, Radcliffe. Schermer, M, 2002, The different faces of autonomy: patient autonomy in ethical theory and hospital practice. Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers. Read More

 

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