Analysis of an Ethicolegal Issue in Health Law and Ethics

HEALTH LAW AND ETHICS
Unit Code: HME711
ASSIGNMENT 1
Unit Chairs
Dr. Dominique Martin & Jane Duffy
Topic:
ANALYSIS OF AN ETHICOLEGAL ISSUE
Student Name: Chandra Sai Puttagunta
Student ID: 217217689
Master of Health and Human Service Management (T3)
Burwood Campus

Table of Contents
ANALYSIS OF AN ETHICOLEGAL ISSUE.........................................................................................................1
Introduction.............................................................................................................................................2
Ethical considerations..............................................................................................................................3
LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS.................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION.....................................................................................................................................10

Introduction
This paper discusses the legal and the ethical aspects while distributing resources in the
emergency unit. Ethics are used to rationalize our deeds, and a dilemma in ethics happens
whereby there exists a possibility of two or more results. The professionalism consists of legal
principles and ethics which leads patients who require therapeutic services to healthcare
providers who put at heart the interest in caring patients. In cases of a conflict involving a health
care provider with the patient's view on therapy and the well- being of the patient, legal aspects
and ethical principles plays a substantial role in a healthcare system (Durocher, et al., 2017). The
most greatly integrated unit and populous unit in a hospital in the emergency care unit. The high
demand for healthcare causes overcrowding in the emergency unit as compared to the
distribution of resources such as skilled personnel, economy, time and equipment this is as stated
by the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine. The increased demand for healthcare is
higher than the available resources indicates the insufficiency of funds in an emergency unit.
Resources available in the emergency unit includes:
 Ambulant services.
 Space for treatment of patients after undergoing triage stage and or critical care.
 Supplies such as equipment needed to identify the condition of a patient, medical
accessories and pharmaceutical products.
 The need for staffs because it is a critical care unit. There is a need to ensure the
availability of skilled personnel within the group and any time they are required.
 Unique rooms are required for specific instances such as the isolated rooms to treat
patients with burns and infectious patients.
Resource allocation is conducted in three levels (Runciman, et al., 2017):

 Micro-level
 Macro-level
 Meso-level
The three levels constitute the society’s multiple stages, involved in resource distribution.
Allocation at the macro-level is grounded in sectors such as health, education while at meso-
level it is done based on groups, fields and geographical locations. Individuals at the micro level
are engaged in the clinical judgment of accessing resources and healthcare resources.
Prioritization over the access benefit towards healthcare services where funds are insufficient
must be considered (Watts, et al., 2017).
Prioritization enables fair and proper access to the available resources. Triage is the exercise of
employing right decisions in prioritization. This helps in priority assessment depending on
clinical urgency or medical condition. Social conditions, traditional and cultural aspects
prevailing also have a significant role in explaining the principles of triage.
Ethical considerations
Ethics play a crucial role during triage in the emergency care department or when using
healthcare resources on a single individual over the other because of the insufficient funds.
Additionally, it aids in making decisions in cases of high uncertainties about the treatment
effectiveness towards the medical conditions of a patient because a response to treatment differs
among the class of people having the same medical condition (Harriss, et al., 2017).
Post triage is where the limited available resources are spent on some patients for the more
significant benefit, which happens by sacrificing the necessity or needs of other patients who
may not fully utilize them. Therefore, triaging is useful in the proper utilization of resources with
full benefits. Although there is possible conflict in undertaking the triaging exercise, that is