Combes, Bertina H (11/01/2016). “Revisiting Principles of Ethical Practice Using a Case Study Framework”. Intervention in school and clinic (1053-4512), 52 (2), p. 92. Applying Ethical Principles Healthcare professionals often find themselves in the middle of ethical problems. In such instances, they have to apply their moral values and ethical principles to make appropriate decisions. Ultimately, the decisions made by the professions have to be in the best interest of the patients. Ethical yardsticks such as beneficence, justice, autonomy, and nonmaleficence provide a basis upon which decisions can be analyzed. An ethical decision is, therefore, one that passes the tests if these yardsticks are applied. [Nice start to an introduction. A strong introductory paragraph will include key points regarding your topic and a clear purpose/thesis statement for what you will accomplish in your paper. For information about developing a thesis statement visit https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/the_writing_process/thesis_statement_tips.html . Also, please review APA guidelines for spacing https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html . Is extra space supposed to be added after each paragraph in APA? Next, use the tab key to indent paragraphs instead of using the first-line indent setup as this can skew centered text.] Overview of the Case Study [Please review APA guidelines for using level headings https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/apa_headings_and_seriation.html . Do level headings use the same font style as the body of your paper? Use of level headings in your paper helps organize content and assists with flow and topic transition.] The case study for this assignment is the Emergency Department Repeat Admissions. In this case, Matt Losinski, the County General Hospital’s (CGH) CEO, comes across an article which provided grim details on admissions in hospitals Emergency Departments (ED) around central Texas. In particular, there are concerns that some patients are repeatedly admitted in the ED for up to 100 times in a year. Besides, some of the admissions related to minor nonspecific conditions, the kind referred to as ‘worried well.’ Consequently, the admissions gobbled up a huge chunk of the hospital’s resources leading to crowding, delays in treatment and increased patients’ dissatisfaction. In the case of CGH, the facility did not receive tax subsidy and missed reimbursement from Medicaid. In the instance, the hospital needs to be judicious in the application of its resources to deliver high-quality service to its clients. Losinski believes that the process involves cutting expenses on unnecessary admissions. [Is there a source citation for the case study? Check with your instructor, as according to the 6th edition APA manual every sentence which is paraphrased or quoted must be cited.] Analysis of the Ethical Issues in the Study Several factors may have caused the ethical dilemma in the study. First, it appears that the staff and the leadership at CGH do not appreciate the impact of unnecessary repeated admissions at ED on the overall quality of care at the facility [Which ethical principle does this potentially breach?]. Therefore, even though their cases are not as acute, the hospital still has few cases that fall into the category which have gone unnoticed. Secondly, the culture at the facility promotes the status quo and therefore abhors change [Which ethical principle does this potentially breach?]. For instance, when Losinski raises the issue with Mary Scott, the CFO, she responds that Medicaid and private arrangements are enough to cover the repeated admissions cases. Losinski also fails to get an appropriate response to his concerns during the executive committee meeting. The other issue at the facility is the gap in the hospitals model [Which ethical principle does this potentially breach?]. For instance, the CFO is comfortable that Medicaid covers the cost, yet the hospital has not received reimbursements amounting to $200,000 each year. All these factors have led to a system in which the hospital is not focused on cost savings and improvement of care. For instance, no one understands why Medicaid is not making full reimbursements. Therefore, the issue of repeat admissions, which is a wastage, has not received the attention it deserves. The overall impact of the issue is that the hospital has been experiencing limited margins. It is unable to improve its facilities, and this has impacted the quality of care to its clients. Consequently, it is expected that the level of client dissatisfaction is low. Ethical Decision-Making Model
#Revisiting #Principles #Ethical #Practice #Case #Study
