The importance of honesty cannot be overstated in the professional setting. It would be unethical and immoral for a judge to preside over a case where he has a conflict of interest. It would be disastrous for a police officer to lie under oath about someone going over the speed limit. As humans we all suffer from the human condition, which is that we have weaknesses, we are imperfect and we are all highly capable of mistakes. However, there exists a profession in which the ramification of these mistakes and imperfections can be most deadly. Medicine is one of the few highly regarded fields in which the professionals are able to dictate their own standards. The importance and magnitude of this liberty to self-govern can be a boon to those practicing within the ethical and moral confines, however, breaking the trust of self-governance as a profession not only puts the offender in peril but the integrity of the institution as well. Dishonesty as it relates to three aspects of medicine in particular will be discussed in this essay: Dishonesty as it relates to medical training, in particular, during medical school, Dishonesty as it relates to postgraduate medical work/career and lastly dishonesty as it relates to medical advancement, publications and data.
Medical school is the defining moment for a young physician. They finally are able to begin their journey into the depths of the human anatomy, the perils of disease and the wonder of therapy. It is not a well-kept secret that medical students often try and secure any advantage they could in order to place themselves in a more favorable position in such a highly competitive environment. Numerous studies show that as high as 50% of students cheat during medical school . Further...
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...le enough concept. However, in the light of competition and stress it is often hard to stay truthful to the truth. The human condition is such that we give in to temptations and shortcomings of our beings. If there is an easier route we as humans are more likely to take it. However, because of the gift of self-governance when it comes to the medical profession we have to be our own biggest critics. It is of paramount importance for the medical community to police itself in a manner that doesn’t encourage dishonesty, fraud and misrepresentation of fact. Dishonesty is a cancer that has a stranglehold on the medical community and just like any other cancer it has to be treated aggressively and has to be fought again from within. But, just like cancer, if dishonesty keeps reemerging even after aggressive treatment, it can lead to the downfall of a proud profession.
Truth in medicine is a big discussion among many medical professionals about how doctors handle the truth. Truth to a patient can be presented in many ways and different doctors have different ways of handling it. Many often believe that patient’s being fully aware of their health; such as a bad diagnosis, could lead to depression compared to not knowing the diagnosis. In today’s society doctor’s are expected to deliver patient’s the whole truth in order for patients to actively make their own health decisions. Shelly K. Schwartz discusses the truth in her essay, Is It Ever Ok to Lie to Patients?. Schwartz argument is that patients should be told the truth about their health and presented and addressed in a way most comfortable to the patient.
Cullen and Klein understand that deception is wrong and disrespectful to the patient but criticize that some cases are more complicated and not so black and white. They argue that physicians should be able to withhold information that can significantly benefit the patient. The key part is that the benefit is greater than what the deception causes.
One day while doing his job, a physician used a used swab that was possibly infected with HIV on another patient. When looked at by certain people, the doctor did the correct thing by telling his patient that he roused a swab on him/her. However, the chances of this patient getting HIV was substantially low, and he should have waited for the patient to develop symptoms, which would have been rare, before telling the truth. As stated by Michael Greenberg, “he might have done better by keeping his mouth shut.” If the doctor did lie, he could have lied to protect himself, the quality of life of the patient, and his ability to help others with their lives. If he had not told the patient that he used the swab on him/her, he/she would not have had to live in fear of getting HIV. Because of this decision of truth telling, the doctor lost his job, money, confidence, and also affected someone’s quality of life.
One of the most complex, ever-changing careers is the medical field. Physicians are not only faced with medical challenges, but also with ethical ones. In “Respect for Patients, Physicians, and the Truth”, by Susan Cullen and Margaret Klein, they discuss to great extent the complicated dilemmas physicians encounter during their practice. In their publication, Cullen and Klein discuss the pros and cons of disclosing the medical diagnosis (identifying the nature or cause of the disease), and the prognosis (the end result after treating the condition). But this subject is not easily regulated nor are there guidelines to follow. One example that clearly illustrates the ambiguity of the subject is when a patient is diagnosed with a serious, life-threatening
Even since ancient times, it was recognized that doctors had power over their patients, and that there must be ethical implications coming with this responsibility. This was first represented in the Hippocratic Oath, which was created by an Ancient Gree...
Rhodes, R. and Strain, J.J. (2004) Whistleblowing in academic Medicine. Journal of Medical Ethics. 30 (1)
Disclosure is an essential aspect of a medical professional and his or her patients’ relationships. In the 1950s, the medical client and professional relationship was one of paternalism as opposed to the now fiduciary relationship. Then a paternalistic professional took all of the responsibilities, disclosed what he then thought was necessary, and essentially told the patien...
... a health problem, incorrect supervision of medication to a patient, faulty or sub-standard performance of a diagnosis, surgery, or any other type of procedure, inadequate use of medical tools and instruments and devices and their lack of maintenance, and negligence towards patient records, test results, or any other kind of documentation (Goguen). Although, the list of problems and causes of medical malpractice seems rather endless and long, it can be cut short. Some ways to prevent and avoid malpractice or medical error is to be aware and involved. A doctor can take note of their patient and their medical history. A patient can be aware of their surroundings and the treatment that they are receiving. A patient’s safety should be a doctor’s primary concern, because it is their responsibility to tend to patients needs and to assist them to a proper nourished life.
When one initially chooses a career path, one rarely looks at all the negatives that may be associated with that choice. Most career paths have some negatives associated with the field, but few face the moral dilemmas associated with modern healthcare. Those who choose to be in the healthcare profession today are faced with moral and ethical dilemmas that would make King Solomon tear his hair out. In many cases, doctors, and sometimes nurses, are faced with life and death decisions without the benefit of knowing the patient’s, or the patient’s family’s, wishes. However, aside from those tragic times when a patient’s wishes are unknown, healthcare professionals must always put their own morals aside, and act
In “Should Doctors Tell the Truth?” Joseph Collins argues for paternalistic deception, declaring that it is permissible for physicians to deceive their patients when it is in their best interests. Collins considers his argument from a “pragmatic” standpoint, rather than a moral one, and uses his experience with the sick to justify paternalistic deception. Collins argues that in his years of practicing, he has encountered four types of patients who want to know the truth: those that want to know so they know how much time they have left, those who do not want to know and may suffer if told the truth, those who are incapable of hearing the truth, and those who do not have a serious diagnosis (605). Collins follows with the assertion that the more serious the condition is, the less likely the patient is to seek information about their health (606).
Sometimes doctors abuse that aspect of their profession and use it to better science. James P. Scanlan uses the argument of finding the valuable truth and scientific knowledge which is morally impossible to obtain (Pg. 55). Ramsey responds by saying, “These are salutary warnings precisely because by them we are driven to make the most searching inquiry concerning more basic ethical principles governing medical practice.” While becoming a doctor, one may feel as if they must constantly better the field of health using science. “Doctors”, Ramsey says, “Need to become moral philosophers” (Pg.55). If the doctors do not think morally, then medical ethics will slowly become scoured till there is nothing left. Granted, there are doctors and medical students who have looked at this situation from a moral perspective, but I believe, as does Ramsey, that doctors will get caught up in the “omnivorous appetite of scientific research.
The medical profession is plagued with ethical issues that are related to the job and others that are linked to those areas that have a direct impact on healthcare delivery, like pharmacists and pharma companies that sell medicines. The ethical discharge of duties is not binding on physicians and actual health care deliverers, but it is also invested in every person who is connected to health care delivery.
Bakhurst, David. “Lying and Decieving.” Journal of Medical Ethics 18 (June 1992): n. pag. JSTOR. Web. 29 Sept. 2011.
Honesty and integrity are very important in the medical field. We as healthcare workers are given such trust and responsibility. We should always strive to do our best and when faced with tough situations. When we don't always know what to do or the proper way to react we should always be honest. Let our superiors know what is going on and ask for advice when we need to. This would show that we are honest. When we come into contact with patients they rely on us to do the right thing and always perform our job with integrity. Often people’s lives are in our hands. We have to care about the patient and care about our job in order to continue to provide quality care. If someone hates their job they are not going to give their best in every way they can. The medical field is not a place for that person.
Jesus said that He is “the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (JN 14:6, KJV). Jesus is truth. God is light. The Bible is clear about the importance of honesty. “He that walketh upright walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known” (PR10:9. KJV). Walking upright is integrity. It is from this concept that the sayings related to hanging one’s head with shame have come. In society, we should all be ashamed, for it has become a place where integrity is a foreign thought, and the classroom has become a place where cheating is too common.