Physician Ethics: Common Doctor Dilemmas

Physician Ethics: Common Doctor Dilemmas

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Deciding what’s best for your patient can be extremely difficult. This is because the line between what is morally “right” or “wrong” is often blurred in healthcare. Each day, doctors and other practitioners must evaluate cases and make tough decisions quickly. To examine their experiences, Medscape surveyed 10,000 healthcare professionals. The results of this physician ethics study show that most of them struggle to make complicated decisions. Continue reading for an in-depth look at some of the biggest dilemmas facing physicians today.physician ethics

Physician Ethics: The Biggest Dilemmas Doctors Face

Life-sustaining treatment for terminal patients

This is one of the biggest issues when it comes to physician ethics. Nearly 40 percent of surveyed doctors said that the decision to provide life-saving treatments to dying patients depends on each situation. For instance, terminal patients may want to see their loved ones before they pass. In this case, a doctor would keep them alive long enough to meet with their family members. This can be a difficult decision because keeping a terminally ill patient alive can prolong their suffering. Seeing their loved one in such a state can often make things worse for the family. It’s also important to note that patients have the right to refuse these treatments. This means that you must comply with their wishes, despite your ability to save their life.

Physician-assisted suicide

Physician-assisted suicide is an issue that exists on the other end of the spectrum. Should a doctor help to end a person’s life if they no longer want to suffer? This is an incredibly polarizing problem when it comes to physician ethics. Approximately 45 percent of the surveyed doctors said they were in favor of this practice, while 40 percent were against it. The remaining 13 percent said their choice would depend on the situation. While some people believe that physician-assisted suicide is murder, others are sympathetic to the patients and would “want the same thing” done for them. These sentiments continue to divide physicians on the topic.

Hiding information about terminal-diagnoses 

60 percent of physicians said they “tell it like it is” when it comes to reporting terminal or pre-terminal illness to their patients. However, about 15 percent of physicians believe that downplaying a disease helps some patients stay more hopeful. Patients who are young, elderly, or mentally ill may not fully understand their prognosis. In these cases, many physicians believe that telling a family member rather than the actual patient is a more effective way of handling the situation. Less than 2 percent of doctors reported that they don’t tell their patients about the severity of their condition unless they are very close to death.

Covering up mistakes that caused “no harm” to the patient

60 percent of doctors said it is unethical to hide a mistake you made. In contrast, 20 percent of the survey participants said it was okay to do so if the patient was not harmed by the mistake. They believe that telling an unaffected patient will cause unnecessary emotional distress. Balancing the potential harm to a patient versus the potential harm to your reputation can be a hard juggling act for many physicians.

Dropping insurers that don’t pay well

Would you feel conflicted about dropping an insurer that didn’t pay well? 57 percent of surveyed physicians said that they would. This choice would cause you to lose some long-term patients, but it would also bring money to the practice. So, for many doctors, this is an issue of money over morals. Fighting for the proper reimbursements is the main goal for some, but others take on a more altruistic approach to medicine. But, it’s important to remember that you can’t heal patients if you’re practice goes bankrupt.

Performing abortions 

Roughly 34 percent of physicians are willing to perform the procedure regardless of their personal opinions of the matter. However, 53 percent of doctors said they would refuse to do the procedure and ask the patient to see someone else. This a frequently debated topic by people within and outside of the medical field. The controversy surrounding abortions can make it very difficult for physicians to decide whether or not they offer this procedure.

Accepting gifts or perks from pharmaceutical companies. 

Many physicians feel that accepting things from pharmaceutical companies is unethical because it could influence their medical judgment. Nearly 47 percent said that doctors should always refuse these perks and gifts. However, the majority of physicians feel as though these offerings are not unethical and appreciate the gesture.

What is your experience with physician ethics? Are there any important ethical dilemmas that we missed? Please share your thoughts and experiences with us in the comments below!

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