Ethics to me has two meanings. First, they are a guide, a code of conduct that tell me what to do in times of uncertainty. Health care research has established that dilemmas are a part of a practitioner’s job description. Some of the dilemmas have clears solutions while others are difficult to understand let alone resolve. Ethics, therefore, are a way for me to leverage the experience of those who came before me. After all, understanding the situation is half of the solution. Secondly, it is expected of any health care practitioner to practice objectivity when interacting with patients, especially when belief systems, cultures, and religion get in the way of delivering quality services. In this case it would be easier to subjectively judge the other party than to accept their views. Ethics, therefore, could help me maintain my objectivity.
Ethics in health care are, therefore, important in that they help practitioners respect not only the patients but also create relationships that bond patients and their physicians and create the trust that is essential to quality delivery. Ethics also help practitioners maintain a clear conscience, which goes a long way to reduce burn out.
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The relationship between healthcare ethics and the law is very complex in that legislators and judges make the law, which might conflict with the value and reasoning of ethical practitioners. Baby Doe laws, for instance, require that physicians treat premature babies regardless of their condition, which flies in the faces of some ethical physicians who believe the treatment merely prolongs the suffering.
On the other hand, organizations can use a Code of Ethics to service health care consumers by creating, for instance, minimum expected standards for interacting with the patient. This can be effective if the consumers lack trust in their healthcare practitioners or when encountering difficult situations.
