Respond to one of the following three “news clippings” related to virtue ethics from your Pozgar text. Write a 1- 2 page essay addressing the discussion questions posed for the one you selected. Be sure to clearly identify the news clipping you selected.
Adhere to APA formatting and cite all sources. Review the rubric for further information on how your assignment will be graded.
#1 Wrong Operation Doctor (ethics and integrity)
Hospitals find it hard to protect patients from wrong-site surgery.
Last year a jury returned a $20 million negligence verdict against
Arkansas Children’s Hospital for surgery performed on the wrong side
of the brain of a 15-year-old boy who was left psychotic and severely
brain damaged. Testimony showed that the error was not disclosed to
his parents for more than a year. The hospital issued a statement
saying it deeply regretted the error and had “redoubled our efforts to
prevent” a recurrence.
So, what happened? “Health care has far too little accountability for
results … . All the pressures are on the side of production; that’s how
you get paid,” said Peter Pronovost, a prominent safety expert and
medical director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Innovation in Quality
Patient Care. He added that increased pressure to quickly turn over
operating rooms has trumped patient safety, increasing the chance of
error.
Kenneth W. Kizer, who coined the term “never event” nearly a
decade ago when he headed the National Quality Forum, a leading
patient safety organization, said he believes reducing the number of
errors will require tougher reporting rules and increased
transparency.
Source: Boodman, S.G. (2011). Kaiser Health News,The Washington Post. Pozgar, 4th ed., p. 43
(integrity)
RESOURCES You may use these and other outside sources to frame your discussion.
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2012/12/17/274239.htm
https://www.qualityforum.org/Home.aspx%20
Assignment Discussion Questions
- Discuss the issues of integrity in this case.
- Should criminal charges be considered in this case, if accurately reported? Discuss your answer.
- Why did you choose to respond to this story?
- How is integrity displayed in your clinical setting?
