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Ethical and Legal Issues in Health Care : Report

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Added on  2020-01-15

Ethical and Legal Issues in Health Care : Report

   Added on 2020-01-15

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ETHICAL AND LEGALISSUESIN HEALTH CARE
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INTRODUCTION The term health care can be defined as the maintenance of sound health among individualby proper diagnosis, treatment and prevention of health problem, accidental injury and variousphysical and mental impairments in human beings (Murray, 2013). Since, the life of any being isprecious there are varied laws that ensure that heath care organization takes proper measures tosafeguard the same. There are numerous legal regulations and standards of practice that must befollowed by health care professional. The government ensures the individuals have the legal rightto make their own health care decisions (Gabbe and et. al., 2016). The main purpose of theregulatory bodies is to ensure better care is provided to each and every patients. In addition tothis aspect, the concern of government is to assure respect for patients along with fairness,equitability and truthfulness.Some of the legal and ethical issues that are overcome by health care entities and patientsare related with breach in confidentiality of information, unsound relationship between patientand doctor, physical and metal abuse and various malpractices (Evans and Bor, 2015). In thisessay, clear understanding will be shown about different ethical and legal issues in healthcare.The focus will be given on determining if pre-natal screening for disabilities discriminate againstthe disabled. The pre natal screening is a test that help in identifying the abnormalities inpregnancy by doing test like, blood test, DNA, ultrasound, glucose screening etc. (Holloway andWheeler, 2013). However, it also detects inherited and other abnormalities in the fetus in termsof discrimination against the disabled. In this essay, detailed explanation will be provided aboutpre-natal screening. According to the views of Yang and Silverman, (2014) prenatal screening can be definedas contrasting prospect of prenatal care that emphasis on early identification of anatomic andphysiological issues with the zygote or fetus. It is further refereed as detection of fetal diseasegenerally by sonography or by detecting foetal disease commonly by doing ultrasound test orchecking maternal serum, chorionic villi etc. Chretien and Kind, (2013) also defined that prenatalscreening tests are group of processes that are executed during maternity ion expecting mothersto ascertain whether a child is possibly to have particular birth defects. In simple words, it can bedefined as testing of foetus for knowing the genetic changes (Mitchell, 2016). The prenatalscreening are more in first three months of pregnancy to determine the risk for transmissible
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disorders in their to be born baby. It further assists the doctors in telling the mother whether thefetus is at extreme or low risk of getting a chromosomal abnormal condition. Therefore, theparents can use prenatal testing to determine the chances of having a healthy or unhealthy babyin future (Courtney, 2013). Also, these test indicates the chances of having disability in child dueto which the parents can take decision like abortion etc. As per the views of Porreco and et al.(2014) prenatal screening is bad practices as it force the parents to make the choice to end thepregnancy. Therefore, it is an unethical practice as the sole purpose is to forbid the presence ofindividuals with disability rather than focusing on reducing the incidence of impairment.Contradictory in the opinion of Miltoft and Wulff (2016) many of the parents exercise the essaysof prenatal screening so they can prepare themselves for the peculiar requirements of their child.For example, the parents knowing the chances of physical impairment is more in there unbornchild than they can plan to start the medical insurance coverage etc.As per Malpas, (2013). females undergo different type of genetic screening and this isdone in evaluate the risk of genetic disorder to unborn baby. Further, certain screenings are takenin order to obtain ultrasound and to measure certain substances in mother blood (King, 2015). Inthis context, information related to age of women, ethnic background of couples and history offamily is taken in order to calculate the odds which might cause to the new born baby. As perCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it has been found that out of 33 babies 1birth is with defects (Kihlbom, 2016). In addition to this, they also stated that the defects canoccur at any point of time during pregnancy. However, with the help of screening test, parentscan determine the rate of risk to their baby. There are both pros and cons of Genetic testing. Inthis context, one of the main benefit that one can get is that issues which babies are known evenwhen they are born, then technology has the capability to cure them at great extent. Further,parents get the choice of thinking over whether they want the baby or not. However, according toKoch (2015). It develops tremendous pressure on parents. They get into state of constant anxietyregarding the possible results. This can be determined as a type of discrimination which parentstake. All child should be given equal changes and there are many people with disabilities whohave achieved their desired goals. As per a recent case that occurred in UK where doctors wherenot providing child proper treatment as they thought judging death will be of the best interest(Holmes, 2016). However, parent fought in court and applied to provide proper treatment. This
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type of situation that can be avoided through screening. As stated above, in most of the cases,there are chances that issues of disability can be solved. However, when there are no changes ofcure, then parent should take the risk that they still want to give birth to child or not, Bayefskyand Jennings (2015). stated that in most condition the mental stage of parent is to grow up theirbaby even if it has disabilities. However, in serious conditions doctors have to make decision toabbot the child. This highly affects the mental condition and stability of parents. Further, whenscreening is done and when they are provided with the information that the child is at risk andthey can be solved or any other type of situation occurs. Parents make themselves get ready toface the same and this can be stated as one of the main advantage of screening (Evans and Bor,2015).Legal concept can be determined as an autonomy that serves as protecting individualsfrom bodily integrity. It is the right of adults to decide whether to undergo medical interventionsor not. However, it is essential to provide all the relevant information regarding that might affectdecision making (Christenhusz and Dierickx, 2014). In this context, it includes information likerisk, benefits, nature of condition, etc. In such situations, health care providers will be held liableif they do not provide patients with proper information. With this respect, prenatal genetic testingenables parents to get information related with the development of fetus and in situations whenhealthcare providers identify abnormal defects. As a result, it enables to prevent future childissues and this is done by terminating pregnancy (Christenhusz and Dierickx, 2014). There aremany positive impacts due to terminations and prenatal testing as it reduces incidents related topopulation of suffering because of disabling conditions. In addition to this, it also saves resourcesthat are needed to treat, support or compensate individual who live with disabilities. Ethical issues in pre-natal screening for disabilities that discriminate against the disabledEthics can be determined as values, standards and principles of conduct. Further de Jongand et al. (2014) also stated that results of prenatal testing only shows the probability of havingunhealthy child while there are chances that results may not be true. The essays also states that,there are many cases when child aborted based on screening results were perfectly healthy. Thisresults into serious crime of killing a child with no rationale. It is also argued that prenatal testare just for detection and are not diagnostic (Li, Chandrasekharan and Allyse, 2016). It is majorethical issues as healthy babies are terminated due to the results of prenatal test. Therefore, the
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