Applying Ethical Principles

Introduction

When making health care decisions, health care providers face ethical issues that affect or put them in a dilemma. When health care professionals face ethical problems, they are required to apply moral values and principles to make quality decisions for patients. Four important principles of health care ethics help healthcare professionals to make free and fair decisions: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. Ethical principles are essential in healthcare because they help healthcare professionals to make decisions when faced with ethical problems.

Summary of the case study

Jenna and Chris Smith are the parents of Ana, a five-day-old infant. Since the baby was delivered, the parents developed a strong bond with the baby, and they want the best for the baby. The parents, through their research, found that vaccines are not good for babies. Thus they decided not to vaccinate the baby rather use organic food to feed the baby. According to the parents, vaccines have a significant negative effect. Thus, they choose not to use them for their baby. Through the research the parents of Ana conducted, they believe that the high rate of autism is caused by vaccines; thus, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. The parents of Ana find a new pediatrician for Ana, who tries to explain to them why the vaccines are important; the pediatrician gives the parents all the reasons why the baby should be vaccinated. The pediatrician explains that vaccines are essential because they help to prevent vaccine-preventable illnesses that are proven to be effective by the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. The pediatric assures the parents of Ana that there are no vaccines that have been found to cause any condition as the vaccines are tested and proved to be effective before they are administered to babies, but the stand of the parents still remains that their baby will not be vaccinated and this puts the pediatric in a dilemma wondering what to do.

Analysis of Ethical Issues in the Case Study

In the case study, the factor that caused the pediatric dilemma is the decision Ana's parents have made not to vaccinate Ana. The parents have done their research, and they are convinced that vaccines are not good for babies; thus, they have a decision not to vaccinate their baby. The pediatrician understands that the parents of a baby have the right to make decisions regarding the care of the baby, but due to the vaccine benefit, he tries to explain the importance of vaccines to help the parents see the need. The pediatrician ensures that the parents get all the information about the vaccines, but the parents of Ana believe the research they have done concerning vaccines is true, and vaccines have more harm than good.

Application of the Decision–Making Model

Considering the case study, the three components of the ethical decision-making model (moral awareness, moral judgment, and ethical behavior) will help analyze the ethical issues in the case study (Yoo and Kim, 2018). Moral awareness is what is known concerning the dilemma. Moral judgment is the decision to choose the right and wrong action to take when such dilemmas arise. Ethical behavior is brought about by both moral awareness and moral judgment. Ethical behavior is taking the right action to resolve the dilemma. The moral awareness of the pediatrician is observed by the fact that the pediatricians understand the importance of vaccines in babies. The moral judgment is reflected by the decisions he made to enlighten the parents of Ana on the importance of vaccines because he understands that vaccines are essential as they prevent vaccine-preventable illness. The ethical behavior of the pediatrician is reflected where he wants to resolve the dilemma where he will apply the four health care ethical principles as required.

Effectiveness of Communication Approaches in the Case Study

Communication is important in healthcare (Ratna, 2019). Communication helps patients to understand health care thus make the right decision. Listening is an important approach used by physicians; this way, they help to understand what the patients or the patients’ families have in mind. The pediatrician, through listening to Ana's parents, understands the reason behind not supporting vaccines. The pediatrician communicated effectively to Ana's parents by explaining to them the importance of vaccines and the way vaccines are provided before they are administered to people. When communicating with patients, it is essential to communicate one on one this way, it becomes easy for the physician to see the reaction of the patient or the patient family while communicating, and in cases where one on one communication cannot be supported, then video communication approach is effective. Charts can be a wrong communication approach. This is because when charting, some information can be sent just to justify the physician, and this way, the patient or the patient's family might not get the health care information effectively.

Effectiveness of the approach used by a professional to deal with problems or issues involving ethical practice in a case study

The pediatrician engaged the parents of Ana in communication. The pediatrician explained all about vaccines, and he provided evidence that vaccines are effective and they can create a significant impact on the baby. The pediatrician gave proof that vaccines are not the cause of health conditions, as the parents argued. As a pediatrician, it is his role to ensure that the parents have health information concerning the baby, and in this case, the pediatrician gave all essential information to Ana’s parents even though they had a different opinion. Following the case study, it is clear that there are people who are not well informed. There is a need for people to be educated on the importance of getting quality health care like vaccines because it seems that the parents of Ana had the wrong information that led them to make the decision.

Application of ethical principles to a possible solution to an ethical problem or issue described in a case study

In order to change the decision the parents of Ana have made, a lot of communication is needed. The pediatricians need to continue communicating with the parents in this way, and they will change their decision (Ratna, 2019). It is essential for the parents to understand how good vaccines can be to their children, and this can be achieved through regular communication about the matter. Through regular communication, the pediatric wild liver sends the right message about health care, in particular vaccination to the parents of Ana, and this will help his professionalism effectively as it is his role to ensure the people have the right information regarding healthcare. Once communication begins the pediatrician and the parents of Ana will coordinate, and this will help to make better health care decisions.

Conclusion

In summary, the case study involves the parents of Ana and the pediatrician. The pediatrician is in a dilemma on what he can do as the parents are against vaccination for their infant, who is five days old. The pediatrician engaged the parents in communication, and he ensured that the parents got all the information about vaccination, but they had a different opinion. It is the role of the healthcare providers to ensure patients have essential information concerning healthcare.

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