Public health practice and healthcare delivery are characterized by a vast array of moral decision making decisions. Therefore, effective policies need to be developed to guide public health practice and healthcare delivery. Essentially, an individual’s health is the most important aspect of human life, and healthcare practitioners should demonstrate commitment to improving the general wellbeing of the public. There five general moral considerations that influence the practice of public health, as well as healthcare delivery. They include maximizing aggregate health benefits, preventing harm, respecting individual autonomy, fair distribution of health benefits, and respecting individual privacy and confidentiality. These considerations can be utilized by public health practitioners to provide solutions the ethical challenges in their practice.
Maximizing aggregate health benefits is an important moral consideration for public health practice. The public health practitioners are expected to enhance the general welfare of the communities they serve (Martin et al., 2014). They should not only focus on the treatment of diseases, but also focus on implementing preventive measures that will help reduce the rate of morbidity. For instance, communities that lack access to good nutrition require help from public health practitioners in terms of providing alternative and cheaper sources of good nutrition.
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Preventing harm is another general moral consideration that applies to the practice of public health. Public health practitioners are expected to prevent harm in the process of service delivery. Such harms include preventable morbidity and premature death. The public health professionals should endeavor to identify and provide appropriate interventions for various diseases affecting individuals. They should also identify populations at risk of contracting certain illness and develop appropriate preventive interventions. This will position the public health practitioners strategically to effectively combat potential disease outbreaks in communities.
Respecting individual autonomy is a critical moral consideration in public health. Public health professionals should focus involving the clients in the decision making process. Although public health professionals may recommend certain health interventions to patients, the patients may not approve of the intervention. The practitioners need to seriously consider the need for patient autonomy in the continuum of care (Martin et al., 2014). This will ensure that the universal human rights of the clients are not only respected, but also fulfilled. By recognizing the autonomy of patients, public health professionals will be able to build and maintain trust with the clients, improving healthcare outcomes.
Fair distribution of health benefits should inform the decisions of public health practitioners. Public health practitioners should ensure that non-dominant communities get access to healthcare. This can be achieved through exploring cost-effective ways of improving access to care. Essentially, certain communities should not be marginalized in terms of healthcare delivery.
Respecting the privacy and confidentiality of clients is another important moral consideration for public health practice. Public health professionals should focus on protecting the medical information of patients in order to uphold professional standards, as well as build and maintain public trust. When the need to adopt new technology arises, the practitioners should assess the technology in terms of its effectiveness in protecting the privacy and confidentiality of clients.
References
Martin, A. K., Tavaglione, N., & Hurst, S. (2014). Resolving the conflict: clarifying'vulnerability'in health care ethics. Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal , 24 (1), 51-72.
