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Ethical principles in the medical field
Ethical principles in the medical field
Ethical principles in the medical field
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Armeghan Bagherpour Physicians Assistants: Professionalism As the profession of the physician assistant has grown, the professional standards of the profession have grown more rigorous. Professional behaviors required of physician's assistants have become more defined. These include such things as being timely with providing and passing along important information. The standards of professionalism for the physician's assistant, as described by the National Commission on Certification of Physicians Assistants (NCCPA) include: accountability to patients, society, and the profession; commitment to excellence and on-going professional development; commitment to ethical principles pertaining to provision or withholding of clinical care, confidentiality …show more content…
of patient information, informed consent, and business practices; sensitivity and responsiveness to patients’ culture, age, gender, and abilities; self-reflection, critical curiosity, and initiative; healthy behaviors and life balance, commitment to the education of students and other health care professionals (NCCPA.org). As can be seen from this partial list, professional behaviors include and imply that timeliness is one of the most important behaviors implied. "Accountability to patients, society and the profession" includes the timely transmission of patient information. This includes referrals, prescriptions, and completing documentation. Along with the commitments to ethical principles, confidentiality of patient information, and continuing education, timeliness is one of the behaviors that a physician's assistant must demonstrate on a daily basis. Since the profession is relatively new, the professional standards of physicians' assistants are continuing to evolve.
Holding physician's assistants accountable is one of the most important steps that have to be taken to ensure that patients receive the best possible care, and that the profession begin to establish its reputation as one of the most important caregiving professions. This means that physicians' assistants must be prepared to adhere to standards of ethics outlined by the NCCPA which include the confidentiality of patient information. This has become a bigger and bigger issue as information technology has advanced, so PAs must be careful about the transmission of patient information, being mindful of the potential for abuse that this information can have if handled carelessly. Along with the timely transmission of information - including referrals, chart updated, and completing tasks on time - handling of confidential patient information is a critical part of PA professionalism. The emphasis on continuing education is something that must also be incorporated into the daily routine of the PA. As new treatments, drugs, and procedures are discovered and introduced, it is the responsibility of the PA to keep up with this new information. This can be challenging, but giving patients the most up-to-date methods and medications is one of the most important things that a PA can do. For this reason it is included in the profession's standards of …show more content…
professionalism. As the role of the physician's assistant grows (there are nearly 100,000 PAs in the United States today, up from barely 20,000 two decades ago) so will the professional standards of the profession grow.
Timeliness, ethical behavior, and continuing education are just a few of the aspects of this profession that will continue to be important in the future. Making sure that these standards are adhered to will help to make the role of the physician's assistant one that is honored for those standards. This is why it is so important to make sure that these standards are kept from the beginning of the career onwards. Solid ethical principles backed by exacting standards of professional behavior are necessary to professionalize the role of the physician's
assistant. Physician Associate Program. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2017, from http://paprogram.yale.edu/profession/ The link below leads to a case of a physician's assistant who engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a patient. The case includes the findings and punishments. http://www2.mbc.ca.gov/BreezePDL/document.aspx?path=%5CDIDOCS%5C20150211%5CDMRAAAEY3%5C&did=AAAEY150211230026387.DID&licenseType=PA&licenseNumber=17906
These programs are usually available at the master's level and often require applicants to have bachelor's degrees and some amount of experience in the healthcare profession to gain admission. Many physician assistants serve as emergency medical technicians, nurses or paramedics before pursuing admission to physician assistant programs. Physician assistant programs generally take 26 months of full-time study to complete. During the first year, students focus on classroom instruction in medical science and clinical preparation. Courses may include pathology, pediatrics, diagnosis, surgical technique, emergency medicine, pharmacology and research methods. Afterward, the curriculum shifts to focus mostly on clinical rotations in various disciplines, such as general surgery, gynecology and behavioral medicine. During these rotations, students gain first-hand experience in patient care under the supervision of licensed physicians. Physician assistants are required to be licensed by the state in which they practice. Along with completion of an accredited training program, the licensing process entails passage of the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination. The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, evaluates fundamental medical and surgical comprehension (www.nccpa.net). PA’s who pass the PANCE may use the Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C) designation. Physician assistants must earn 100 continuing education credits every two years. They are also required to pass the Physician Assistant National Recertifying Exam every six
With an eye on patient safety, what clinical services may a medical assistant perform in your medical practice?
Moreover, as a physician assistant, my duties and responsibilities would include various tasks. I would examine patients and review patients’ medical history. I would perform diagnostic tests and diagnose a patient’s injury. I would provide treatment and console patients’ on the proper treatment. Lastly, I would assess
In this article, the American Physical Therapy Association (2005) discusses the ethical conduct standards that a physical therapist assistant should follow. Within the preamble it states, “All physical therapist assistants are responsible for maintaining high standards of conduct while assisting physical therapists. The physical therapist assistant shall act in the best interest of the patient/client.” These standards of conduct must be followed by all physical therapist assistants. (American Physical Therapy Association, 2005)
The ethical dilemma in this case study is the scope of practice of Barbara Dean with her role as a medical assistant and the unfamiliarity of her scope of practice by Dr. Granger. According to the American Association of Medical Assistants and their ethical guidelines, we as medical assistants must follow strict guidelines and adhere to establish boundaries in all medical aspects of our careers. For instance, scope of practice adheres to certain regulations, followed by actions, and procedures that are specific to each profession. However, the scope of practice may vary from state to state and is the responsibility of the medical assistant to verify their duties (Lewis, Tamparo, & Tatro, 2012). These regulations pertain to training, education, and demonstrated competency by following the scope of practice of each profession. However, nurses, physicians, and medical assistants all adhere to different codes of conduct pertaining to their duties in their scope of practice. For example, medical assistants are not allowed to triage clients independently, perform minor surgeries, suc...
Lastly, Medical assistants are of great help to the physicians they work for. They make it possible for the practitioners to be effective in their practice. Just like all the other practitioners in the medical field, the medical assistants are expected to maintain high standards in the field. For the medical assistants this will include acting on the instructions given by the practitioners and adhering to the code of ethics as set by AAMA. The medical assistants are also expected to make sound decisions when faced with medical dilemmas. All this should be focused on giving the patient quality care.
Any job in the medical field is great, because it will always be needed no matter what. Doctors, nurses, techs, etc. are all very important and necessary people, but the people behind the scenes are just as important, medical administrative assistants. Being a medical administrative assistant seems awfully difficult, you have all these responsibilities but at the end of the day you’ll have a sense of satisfaction because you may have possibly really helped a patient or family with a serious and hard situation. There are different types or categories of medical administrative assistants, you have the front office, the back office, the clinic setting, private practices, and the floating position. Duties for
As medical assistants we are trained in both clinical and administrative duties, which is a unique skill, and sets us apart from other healthcare professionals. Administrative duties include tasks such as answering telephones, greeting patients, appointment scheduling, and arranging hospital admissions and laboratory services. Clinical duties include responsibilities such as taking medical histories, educating patients on any medical procedures, drawing blood, collecting specimens, and assisting the physician during exams. Because of the growing demand and extensive training of medical assistants, there is never a problem finding work in hospitals, clinics, or private doctors’ offices. (American Association of Medical Assistants, What is a Medical
Professionalism is an adherence to a set of values comprising both a formally agreed-upon code of conduct and the informal expectations of colleagues, clients and society. The key values include acting in a patient's interest, responsiveness to the health needs of society, maintaining the highest standards of excellence in the practice of medicine and in the generation and dissemination of knowledge. In addition to medical knowledge and skills, medical professionals should present psychosocial and humanistic qualities such as caring, empathy, humility and compassion, as well as social responsibility and sensitivity to people's culture and beliefs. All these qualities are expected of members of highly trained professions.
Professional ethics incorporate personal, organizational, and corporate standards of behavior expected in an organization. Certain professions are bounded by the rules and values of their profession (Jones, 2013). For example, a doctor is bound by certain ethical decisions when treating patients. A doctor is limited to an extent of what they can do in some situations. Doctors are not supposed to perform unnecessary medical procedures and are held accountable to act in the best interest of a patient. Jones (2013) affirmed that people often assume the rules and values of their profession. Ethics is important to practice even when no one is watching. The source of professional ethics ultimately defines individual ethics.
A physician assistant (PA) is a professional in the health field who practices medicine with physicians as well as other providers (1).
Encourage other medical assistants to act in a professional manner consistent with the certification standards and responsibilities (Overview). When you see your coworkers operating outside or other than the code of conduct, don’t be afraid to say something. If you know and don’t say anything to attempt correction, you are just a reliable or guilty. Personal Ethical Code of Conduct 1.
For over 75 years the profession of physical therapy has required it's members to adhere to a standard of ethical behavior.1 The first Code of Ethics adopted by the American Physiotherapy Association in 1935 focused mainly on the relationship between the physical therapist (PT), referring physician, and the disciplinary actions of violating that relationship.2(p.4) Since then the Code of Ethics has evolved into what the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) refers to as the Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapist (PT Code), and the Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA Standards).2(p.5),3,4 Today the Code and Standards are designed around the association's core set of values to help define the ethical standards and obligations of the PT and physical therapist assistant (PTA), and to act as reference for situations of ethical dilemmas.3,4
Professionalism is of critical importance in the medical field. Professionalism plays a large role in shaping an organization. In academia as well as the workplace this concept can be challenging. The pressures to function in at the highest capacity level are not simple. Often people don 't understand their respective roles in an organization. There can be many reasons why it may not be clear. Sometimes there is not enough professional training provided or the presently available training methods may need to be updated. What defines professionalism can vary from from environment to the next. For example, in a medical environment protocols may need to be strictly adhered to as it relates to
Professional ethics are important in health care as with other organizations that service the needs of individuals. Each organizations set principles that govern the behavior, how a professional should act toward clients and other institutions. American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Code of Ethics incorporates standards of ethical behavior governing individual behavior particular the conduct directly related to the role and identity of the health care executive. The overall objective is to create a more equitable, accessible, effective, and efficient healthcare system. These objectives are to maintain or enhance the quality of life, dignity, and well-being of every individual needing healthcare services. Every management decision made affects the health and well-being of both the individual and communities. The healthcare executives that follow the ACHE Code of Ethics are more likely to model acceptable behavior and reach the mission goals of the organization (“About ACHE”,