Lying in efforts to obtain consent from a patient is one of the highest levels of unethical behavior in medical practice. Informed According to Frunza & Sandu (2017), informed consent is based on one of the main bioethical principles, the principle of autonomy. Therefore, it is unethical for the physician to falsify information so that the patient gives in and approves the whole process. In fact, the type of consent in this case is not ‘informed’ since the information provided is not correct. Informed consent involves provision of information without falsification while including all the benefits and risks of a given procedure so that the patient can make the best decision that fits his or her preferences. Although the principle of beneficence should apply in medical practice, it should not be used to mask the principle of autonomy which comes into play in matters regarding informed consent.
There are several signs of unethical behavior from the physician’s engagement with the patient. The physician fails to respect the patient’s autonomy. The principle of autonomy helps patients to make the best independent decisions about their treatment and interaction with medical staff. In this case, the patient is not fully informed so the decision made is not correct. The physician is also unethical for failing to respect the code of ethics governing the work of any physician. Physicians are supposed to strictly follow the code of ethics governing their practice to avoid conflicting with patients and legal bodies in the course of their work. The physician does not use the correct approach to warn the patient about the risks involved in the procedure. Therefore, if the client encounters challenges in future, the physician may be held liable and risk prosecution and withdrawal of practicing license.
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The integrity of the physician and the reputation of the hospital were completely compromised when the physician engaged in unethical behavior while serving the patient. The physician is an agent of the hospital. Therefore, all the actions and engagements committed by the physician can be viewed as a failure of the hospital as well. Once the actions are revealed, the hospital’s reputation suffers in equal measures with the physician. The hospital, having hired the physician was supposed to lay down very stringent measures to prevent such incidences that may affect the reputation of the facility. Institutional policies and organizational culture should instill positive behavior among employees to ensure that they adhere to set guidelines and ethical behavior in their work.
The patient may seek legal redress when the truth about the falsified information emerges. The patient will feel cheated and denied the right to autonomy since the type of consent signed ceases to be ‘informed’. If legal redress is sought, and the physician is found guilty, both the physician and the hospital would suffer serious consequences. Alternatively, or concurrently, the patient may decide to publicize the case and ensure the hospital receives negative rating from the public. In such a case, the hospital stands to lose since patients will avoid seeking services from their facility. Therefore, physicians should not lie to their patients while seeking informed consent. Medical professional’s knowledge of law governing medical practice is essential in securing patient’s rights. The four principles of ethical medical practice, i.e. nonmaleficence, beneficence, autonomy and justice should be balanced to prevent a scenario where legal action is sought by the patient against the physician. Unethical behavior among physicians adversely affects patient outcomes. Patient-centered healthcare service delivery should be used as the baseline when determining the right action when faced by dilemmas during practice.
Reference
Frunză, A., & Sandu, A. (2017). Values Grounding the Informed Consent in Medical Practice: Theory and Practice. SAGE Open, 7(4), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244017740397
