Healthcare Ethics - Wrong Site Surgery
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2012
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Philosophy
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Apr 3, 2024
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HCMT 2012 – Health Information Ethics
March 3, 2024
Wrong Site Surgery
Kaeyty Richardson
1.
Discuss the issues of integrity in the case.
There is a clear lack of integrity when it comes to some cases in the healthcare field. The article reviews several cases where a simple verification of the procedure before performed could have prevented wrong-site surgeries and procedures. Overall, it seems that the measures in place to assist with prevention are not improving the problem at hand, and these procedures continue to happen on the wrong patients and sites. Integrity is defined as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. Most of these unintended procedures can be prevented by morally complying with all standards set in place to ensure mistakes do not happen. Errors generally happen during increased time pressures and due to a lack of integrity in some healthcare workers, preventing these wrong site surgeries becomes hard to eradicate because it requires a change in culture or processes and ensuring doctors are working as part of teams. Healthcare workers should all uphold high standards of integrity, and they should want what is best for the patient, meaning they should follow all standards necessary to ensure the best form of care. 2.
Should criminal cases be a consideration in cases mentioned in the article, if accurately reported?
Yes, I do believe that criminal charges should be considered in some of the cases mentioned, even if accurately reported. To summarize my opinion, it jeopardizes people's lives over careless mistakes. I think considered is a good term, because I do believe some instances are not always preventable, however, I also believe that there
should be more repercussions for those that alter people's daily lives over unintended
or planned procedures. Though some cases tend to cause little or no injury, or may even be corrected, these mistakes still cause more intense plans of recovery for the patient as well as physical and mental complications associated. These types of mistakes can also cause more devastating outcomes, even resulting in death. The article also relates healthcare practices to aviation, stating that many experts say that medicine needs standardized rules much like those in aviation. These rules bar takeoff until a pilot and co-pilot complete a prescribed checklist without interruption. This proves to be a system of safety that works and is lacking in medicine. I agree, and I believe that healthcare workers involved should also face legal consequences if this checklist of a similar related nature is not properly performed. I believe that part of the problem in the healthcare field is the lack of consequences or repercussions for
these errors. As also mentioned in the article, patients should be able to trust that the organizations behind their doctors are going to back them as patients, instead of the doctors and healthcare teams when these instances occur. Sources:
Boodman, S. G. (2011, June 20). The Pain of Wrong Site Surgery. Washington Post
. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/the-pain-of-wrong-site-surgery/2011/06/07/AGK3uLdH_story.html?
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HCMT 2012 – Health Information Ethics
March 3, 2024
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