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Ethical Decision-Making in Healthcare

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Ethical Decision-Making in Healthcare
Overview
The process of making ethical decisions in the healthcare industry is complex and
influenced by several variables, such as patient autonomy, cultural norms, and the moral
conundrums that confront medical personnel (Liu et al., 2022). Several academic publications
clarify various facets of ethical decision-making in the healthcare industry, aiding in the
knowledge of this intricate subject.
Patients’ autonomy and preferences in medical decision-making are essential
considerations in ethical decision-making in the healthcare industry (Morley et al., 2020).
Studies show that patients’ fundamental personal values, which can change throughout age
groups, are strongly associated with their desire for autonomy (Everett et al., 2021). Research
has indicated that whereas elderly patients may cherish autonomy to preserve their sense of
self and independence, younger patients frequently want autonomy to challenge conventional
norms and demonstrate individuality (Ewuoso et al., 2021). Medical personnel can improve
patient care results by developing therapeutic alliances and customizing communication
tactics with patients of varying ages by having a better understanding of these motives.
In addition, ethical decision-making in healthcare considers social values and
preferences in addition to patient autonomy (Clark & Virani, 2021). One study looks at how
Dutch society feels about government policies related to COVID-19. It shows different
viewpoints on trade-offs between health outcomes and other societal effects, like school
disruptions and the economy (Gerritsen et al., 2022). The results emphasize how crucial it is
to consider a broad range of policy outcomes and have open lines of communication with the
public to match policies with social values and preferences successfully.
Furthermore, resolving moral conflicts and problems confronting healthcare
practitioners is common in ethical decisions. Moral distress is a common worry among

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healthcare practitioners (Čartolovni et al., 2021). It is defined as psychological suffering
brought on by experiencing ethically challenging situations. Nonetheless, conceptual
ambiguity in this field of study has frequently arisen, sparking discussions concerning its
significance and definition. A study aims to clarify moral distress and its connection to
fundamental human values by examining critical care nurses’ experiences (Olchowska-Kotala
et al., 2023). The findings underscore the need for treatments to address and ameliorate moral
distress among healthcare workers by indicating that moral discomfort can result from
various moral occurrences, including ambiguity, conflict, and difficulties.
Additionally, weighing conflicting ethical duties and principles, including
beneficence, nonmaleficence, fairness, and autonomy, is necessary while making moral
decisions in the healthcare industry (De Benedictis et al., 2020). Healthcare workers
frequently encounter moral conundrums in which following one morality may contradict
another, making decision-making difficult. Giving patients access to private information, for
example, may respect the autonomy principle but may also violate the principle of
nonmaleficence if doing so puts patients in danger of damage (Naruka et al., 2023).
Healthcare workers can make morally acceptable decisions that promote patient well-being
while upholding ethical standards by being aware of the subtleties of these ethical problems
and using ethical frameworks.
In conclusion, moral quandaries, ethical principles, patient autonomy, and societal
values all play a role in the complicated and dynamic process of making ethical decisions in
the healthcare industry. Through applying theoretical frameworks and empirical research,
healthcare practitioners can investigate these characteristics to negotiate morally complex
circumstances, promote patient-centered care, and maintain ethical standards in clinical
practice.

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References
Čartolovni, A., Stolt, M., Scott, P. A., & Suhonen, R. (2021). Moral injury in healthcare
professionals: A scoping review and discussion. Nursing ethics, 28(5), 590-602.

Clark, B. A., & Virani, A. (2021). This wasn’ta split-second decision”: An empirical ethical
analysis of transgender youth capacity, rights, and authority to consent to hormone
therapy. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 18, 151-164.
De Benedictis, A., Lettieri, E., Gastaldi, L., Masella, C., Urgu, A., & Tartaglini, D. (2020).
Electronic Medical Records implementation in hospital: An empirical investigation of
individual and organizational determinants. PloS one, 15(6), e0234108.

Everett, J. A., Maslen, H., Nussberger, A. M., Bringedal, B., Wilkinson, D., & Savulescu, J.
(2021). An empirical bioethical examination of Norwegian and British doctors’ views
of responsibility and (de) prioritization in healthcare. Bioethics, 35(9), 932946.
Ewuoso, C., Hall, S., & Dierickx, K. (2021). How do healthcare professionals respond to
ethical challenges regarding information management? A review of empirical
studies. Global Bioethics, 32(1), 67-84.

Gerritse, K., Martens, C., Bremmer, M. A., Kreukels, B. P., de Boer, F., & Molewijk, B. C.
(2022). Sharing decisions amid uncertainties: a qualitative interview study of
healthcare professionals’ ethical challenges and norms regarding decision-making in
gender-affirming medical care. BMC Medical Ethics, 23(1), 1-17.

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Liu, J., Liu, L., Tu, Y., Li, S., & Li, Z. (2022). Multi-stage Internet public opinion risk
grading analysis of public health emergencies: An empirical study on Microblog in
COVID-19. Information Processing & Management, 59(1), 102796.

Morley, G., Bradbury-Jones, C., & Ives, J. (2020). What is ‘moral distress’ in nursing? A
feminist empirical bioethics study. Nursing Ethics, 27(5), 1297-1314.

Naruka, S. S., Sharma, A. K., & Pahwa, M. S. (2023). Identification of Business Ethics
Variables in Healthcare Functioning An Empirical Analysis of Responses of
Healthcare Professionals in Rajasthan. Parikalpana KIIT Journal of
Management, 19(1), 124-137.
Olchowska-Kotala, A., Strządała, A., & Barański, J. (2023). Patients’ Values and Desire for
Autonomy: An Empirical Study from Poland. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 1-11.

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