As A Healthcare Manager, You Are Included In The Ethics Comm

As Ahealth Care Manager You Are Included In The Ethics Committee The

As a healthcare manager, you are included in the ethics committee. There has been a new case brought before the committee for review and recommendation. You are responsible for examining the facts of the case and providing a written response with your guidance. This process offers an opportunity to analyze the role of a healthcare manager in ethical decision-making within a healthcare ethics case.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

Healthcare managers play a critical role in navigating ethical dilemmas within medical settings. Their involvement in ethics committees provides a platform to weigh complex factors such as patient rights, medical responsibilities, and family considerations. The case of Baby Bundle presents an ethical challenge that necessitates careful analysis of stakeholders, legal rights, and ethical principles. This paper explores these elements, considering the responsibilities of healthcare managers in such scenarios, and offers recommendations based on ethical frameworks and decision-making models.

Major Stakeholders and Decision Makers

The principal stakeholders in the Baby Bundle case include the infant patient, the parents or guardians, the medical team, hospital administrators, and the ethics committee. The infant, Baby Bundle, is the patient whose rights and well-being are the primary concern. The parents or guardians hold legal rights concerning medical decisions for the minor, though these may be ethically and legally challenged if their choices conflict with the child's best interests. The healthcare team, including physicians, nurses, and social workers, are responsible for providing medical care while adhering to ethical standards. The hospital administrators oversee policies that support ethical practices, and the ethics committee functions as a decision-making body aimed at resolving conflicts and establishing appropriate care strategies.

Decision-making authority balances among these groups, with the medical team often making clinical judgments, the parents guiding the child's welfare in accordance with their rights, and the ethics committee mediating in disputes where the rights or well-being of the patient conflict with parental preferences.

Baby Bundle’s Rights in the Case

In this case, Baby Bundle's rights primarily concern the right to life, medical treatment, and consideration of the child's best interests. While infants lack decisional capacity legally, healthcare ethics emphasize the child's right to non-maleficence and beneficence—being protected from harm and receiving care that promotes their well-being. Furthermore, pediatric patients are entitled to receive appropriate medical interventions, even against parental wishes if those wishes threaten the child's health.

Legal rights are also relevant; courts often prioritize the child's best interests when parents' choices may endanger health or life. International conventions, such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, underscore the obligation to protect children's health and well-being, reinforcing that the child's rights may supersede parental preferences in critical circumstances.

Ethical Theories and Principles Relevant to the Case

Several ethical principles guide decision-making in pediatric cases:

- Beneficence: Acting in the best interest of Baby Bundle to promote health and prevent harm.

- Non-maleficence: Avoiding actions that could cause injury or suffering to the infant.

- Autonomy: Respect for parental authority and decision-making rights, although limited in cases where the child's health is at risk.

- Justice: Ensuring fair treatment and equitable access to necessary care.

- Fidelity: Maintaining trustworthiness and commitment to the child's best interests.

Utilitarianism advocates for actions that maximize overall well-being, which may support aggressive treatment if it benefits Baby Bundle. Deontological ethics emphasize the duty to protect vulnerable individuals, such as infants, aligning with principles of non-maleficence and beneficence.

The conflict between respecting parental authority and safeguarding the child's health requires balancing these principles. The ethical principle of the child's best interests often prevails when parental choices threaten harm, as established in legal and ethical standards.

Role of the Healthcare Manager in the Ethics Committee Decision

As a healthcare manager, your role involves providing insight into organizational policies, resource allocation, and operational considerations related to the case. You must facilitate ethical discussions, ensure compliance with legal and institutional guidelines, and advocate for policies that prioritize patient safety and legal compliance.

Your responsibilities include:

- Presenting data and context regarding care options and organizational policies.

- Ensuring the decision aligns with both ethical standards and institutional protocols.

- Supporting transparent communication among stakeholders.

- Assisting in the development of policies for handling similar ethical dilemmas in the future.

Furthermore, healthcare managers are tasked with balancing ethical considerations with practical constraints, such as staffing, resources, and institutional policies, while ensuring patient-centered care.

Recommendations and Next Steps

Given the case details, including the disagreement between the parents and medical team, the recommendation to the ethics committee centers on prioritizing the infant’s best interests. If the parents’ decisions threaten Baby Bundle's health or survival, the committee should consider legal and ethical avenues to override parental authority, including seeking court intervention if necessary.

Clinically, the medical team should continue providing necessary treatment, documenting all actions and decisions meticulously. Ethically, involving the court in cases where parental decisions conflict with medical recommendations ensures impartiality and legal backing for actions deemed necessary to protect the child.

It is crucial to facilitate family meetings to communicate the medical facts, potential outcomes, and ethical considerations transparently. Counseling services and social work support can help families understand the rationale behind recommended treatments and encourage a collaborative approach.

In terms of policy, the hospital should review protocols related to pediatric care conflicts, ensuring clarity on legal rights, ethical standards, and procedures for involving legal authorities when parental decisions endanger a child's health.

In conclusion, the best course of action involves respecting the child's right to life and health, adhering to legal standards, and employing ethical principles to guide decision-making. The healthcare manager should ensure that all actions are transparent, ethically justified, and legally grounded, aiming to secure Baby Bundle’s wellbeing while respecting family involvement wherever appropriate.

References

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• Shah, S., & Aronson, J. K. (2021). Ethical principles in pediatric care. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 114(5), 249-253.
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• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2020). Child Welfare Information Gateway: Framework for pediatric decision-making. HHS.gov.
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• World Health Organization. (2017). Convention on the Rights of the Child. WHO Publications.