scholarly journals Case Study Application of an Ethical Decision-Making Process for a Fragility Hip Fracture Patient

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynn Haslam ◽  
Vincent DePaul
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Hip Fracture ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Surgical Repair ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Fragility Hip Fracture

In Canada, up to 32,000 older adults experience a fragility hip fracture. In Ontario, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care has implemented strategies to reduce surgical wait times and improve outcomes in target areas. These best practice standards advocate for immediate surgical repair, within 48 hours of admission, in order to achieve optimal recovery outcomes. The majority of patients are good candidates for surgical repair; however, for some patients, given the risks of anesthetic and trauma of the operative procedure, surgery may not be the best choice. Patients and families face a dif-ficult and hurried decision, often with no time to voice their concerns, or with little-to-no information on which to guide their choice. Similarly, health-care providers may experience moral distress or hesitancy to articulate other options, such as palliative care.  Is every fragility fracture a candidate for surgery, no matter what the outcome? When is it right to discuss other options with the patient? This article examines a case study via an application of a framework for ethical decision-making.

Ethical Decision-Making in Interdisciplinary Team Care

1995 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 495-499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen M. Sharp
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Interdisciplinary Team ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Medical Problems ◽  
Case Examples ◽  
Team Care ◽  
Ethical Decisions

Most clinical and ethical decisions are made between a patient and his or her physician. However, patients with complex or chronic medical problems are often cared for by a team of professionals from multiple disciplines. Little is known about the process of making ethical decisions between patients and teams of health care providers. The purposes of this article are to examine the process of collective decision-making in interdisciplinary patient care, to present a model for clinical and ethical decision-making, and finally, to discuss ethical decisionmaking in team care. The benefits and potential risks of interdisciplinary care are discussed and illustrated with case examples. Cleft palate and craniofacial teams are used as a model of interdisciplinary team care.

Teaching ethics that honor the patient’s and the provider’s voice: The role of clinical integrity

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 445-454
Author(s):  
Aaron J Grace ◽  
Heather A Kirkpatrick
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Ethical Dilemmas ◽  
Ethics Training ◽  
Teaching Ethics ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Educational Module

Medical ethics training is as variable as it is widespread. Previous research has indicated that medical learners find systematic approaches to ethical dilemmas to be helpful. This article describes a bioethics educational module. It includes an overview of common bioethical principles and presents a tool for organizing health-care providers’ thinking and discussions about challenging ethical dilemmas. We discuss an area of bioethics that is often neglected, clinical integrity, and the role that a health-care provider’s clinical integrity plays in ethical decision-making. We provide several hypothetical ethical vignettes for practice and discussion using the clinical integrity tool. The article also describes how this module has been implemented in one medical education setting and provides suggestions for educators.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document