Challenges present in Scenario 1 include informed consent and conflict of interest. Informed
consent allows a patient to agree to participate in procedures or studies that pertain to their
medical care. When a clinical study is conducted by a medical provider, patients must be educated
about the details of the study and consent to participate. In Scenario 1 the provider collects data
but removes participants with health profiles that will decrease the significance of the study. This
action is unethical because it compromises the validity of the research and removes participating
patients without their knowledge. Patients must also receive information about the expected
length of participation, their responsibilities as study subjects, anticipated compensation for
participation (if any), the possible circumstances under which participation may be discontinued
(despite subjects’ consent), the possible compensation and treatments available should they have
a trial-related injury, and the extent to which records that contain information about their identity
will be kept confidential (De Vine 2022).
Conflict of interest in science and medicine has been defined as a set of conditions in which
professional judgment concerning a primary interest (i.e., integrity of research) tends to be
adversely influenced by a secondary interest (i.e., financial gain) (Trudo & Duff 2006). Conflict of
interest is compromised in scenario 1 when the physician receives financial compensation if the
research study is successful. It is unethical to have a physician seek financial gain from a research
study. Intentionally omitting sample information is an example of how financial gain can
compromise the validity of a study and the credibility of the healthcare professional overseeing it.
The best strategies for the employee that witnesses these practices would be to address the
physician and institution to report it.
In healthcare, ethics is a code of conduct based on morals. Policy is law or regulation set forth by
an institution. Ethics and policy do not always match up with one another. Decisions can be made
to follow policy but may compromise a healthcare professional's ethics. For example, a company
policy may state a patient has the right to make their own health decisions. If a physician notices
the patient choosing medical interventions that place their health at risk, they may advise the
patient but they are not allowed to directly intervene on the patient's behalf.
If a provider's individual ethics do not align with organizational policy, they should leave the
organization and seek employment with an organization with similar ethics and core values. It is
imperative that employees follow organizational policies to reduce the possibility of liabilities. In
healthcare, many members of an organization contribute to a patient's care and it is important
that all employees follow the same standards.
It is unethical to distort results to fall in your Favor, one of the physicians wants to have his study
published and receive a grant for his research. The only issue is that he is not reporting all the
results; it sounds like the missing results his assistant is noticing do not reflect the result. e If he is
trying to prove that his method works all the time, he needs to include the patients who were part
of the study and are getting worse.
Some of the challenges presents are one, the study results are inaccurate, and two, the research
assistant could possibly lose their job if they report what the doctor is doing. e Hospitals normally
have a policy that should be followed; if they are not followed, one can report things to the ethics
committee or the Quality Assurance Committee.
I do not think ethics and policy always match up.
Sometimes health professionals follow the policy word for word and forget to look outside of the
box. e There is always an exception to the rule when working at the hospital. "According to the
Principles of Medical Ethics of the American Medical Association, the physician ordinarily has the
right to refuse to treat any particular patient, but that right does not apply in the case of a medical
emergency" (Harris, 2014). e An example that I can think of is when a Jehovah's witness comes to
the hospital normally, they are bloodless individuals, and if they receive a blood transfusion, that is
considered assault. e So, what do you do if your patient is bleeding out on the table? Would you
honour their wishes and possibly let them die, or do the transfusion and deal with the
consequences later? e If a doctor does not align with the organizational policy, the result would be
termination. e Hospitals normally do not like to be liable.
Citation
Dean Harris. (2014). Contemporary Issues in Healthcare Law and Ethics: Vol. Fourth edition. Health
Administration Press.
De Vine, C. L. B. A. (2022). Informed consent. Salem Press Encyclopaedia of Health.
Trudo Lemmens, & Duff Waring. (2006). Law and Ethics in Biomedical Research: Regulation,
Conflict of Interest and Liability. University of Toronto Press.
