An ethical decision-making process should be followed to ensure sound moral judgments are made (Harman, 2017). In the professional setting, such as in health care, a formal matrix structure may prove beneficial for managers to work through an ethical dilemma.
Using the Ethical Decision-Making Matrix template, construct a scenario that you might encounter as a health care manager.
- In a concise paragraph, explain your ethical dilemma scenario.
- Using the template, create your Ethical Decision-Making Matrix, populating all fields with information.
- In approximately one paragraph, summarize the conclusion of your ethical dilemma.
- Briefly explain how the matrix aided you in reaching a conclusion.
- Include references, in APA format, on a separate reference page.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
As a medical professor in charge of designing college assignments for medical college students, ethical decision-making is an important aspect that needs to be included in the curriculum. In this answer, we will discuss the process of ethical decision-making and how it can be applied to a scenario that a health care manager might encounter in their profession.
Answer:
Scenario: A patient arrives at a hospital, needing immediate medical attention. The patient is unconscious, and none of the family members or friends present at the time can provide any information about the patient’s medical history. On examination, it becomes apparent that the patient has a rare blood type, and the hospital does not have any in stock. The hospital has exhausted all its resources, and there is no nearby hospital that has the same blood type in stock.
Ethical Dilemma: Should the healthcare manager order the treatment that could lead to the patient’s death, or should they explore alternative solutions to avoid risking the patient’s life?
Using the Ethical Decision-Making Matrix:
– Identify the problem: The hospital cannot treat the patient due to the rare blood type.
– Identify potential stakeholders: Patient, family members, hospital staff, and the public.
– Analyze the problem: Explore alternative solutions, such as consulting with other hospitals or blood banks.
– Evaluate alternatives: Consider the impact of each alternative on the patient and the stakeholders involved.
– Choose a course of action: Order the blood type from an alternative source, or transfer the patient to another hospital that has the blood type in stock.
– Implement the decision: Notify the relevant staff and family members of the decision.
– Monitor the decision: Monitor the patient’s condition and ensure that the treatment is successful.
Conclusion:
In this scenario, the ethical decision-making matrix helped the healthcare manager to weigh the pros and cons of different alternatives and choose the best course of action that would benefit the patient and the stakeholders involved. By ordering the blood type from an alternative source or transferring the patient to another hospital, the healthcare manager could ensure that the patient’s life is not put at risk, and the hospital’s reputation is not damaged.
The ethical decision-making matrix aided in reaching a conclusion as it provided a structured approach to analyzing the problem, evaluating alternatives, and choosing the best course of action. It helped the healthcare manager to identify the potential stakeholders, analyze the problem from different perspectives, and make a well-informed decision that would benefit everyone involved.
References:
Harman, L. B. (2017). Ethical challenges in the management of health information. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
