Health Care Policy

Ethical Considerations

Chrystina Cortes

Professor Gena Niehaus

Health Care Policy

June 10, 2012

There are four ethical considerations based on this issue. As per our book, they discuss four principles of medical ethics. Based on the book the first is beneficence, which means “the obligation of health care providers to help people in need” (Bodenheimer MD & Grumbach, 2009). Providers are not informing patients who have been raped there is emergency contraception available to prevent pregnancy. They are not following the standard of care. The next principal discussed is the no maleficence which means, “The duty of health care providers to do no harm” (Bodenheimer MD & Grumbach, 2009). This means health care providers coming in contact with rape victims must act to protect the rape victims being victimized again. This meaning all patients should have the knowledge in treating potential STDs, illnesses, as well as pregnancy. If a doctor felt a patient may be at risk for an STD or illness or infection they would provide medication to treat such infections, so it is their duty to do the same when treating a rap victim who could become pregnant and provide the proper education on emergency contraception. The next principal discussed is autonomy, which means, “the right of patients to make choices regarding their health care” (Bodenheimer MD & Grumbach, 2009). Each patient should be equipped with knowledge of potential treatment options available to them. It is the right of the patient to choose whether those options are best suited for them. It is not the choice of the doctor to decide if they should or shouldn’t share with a patient or which options are available and which are not especially based on moral or ethical beliefs. The last principle discussed in our book is justice. This means, “the concept of treating everyone in a fair manner” (Bodenheimer MD & Grumbach, 2009). To provide each patient in a timely manner with the proper...