The Case Study:
On April 15, 2012, Jasmine Smith, an ER resident of Valle Verde Medical Center admitted Megan Cruise, a fifteen-year-old student at the Valle Verde community school. Ms. Cruise suspected that she has been exposed to the sexually transmitted disease (STD). Ms. Cruise was hesitant to get into any care unless Dr. Smith promised not to reveal any information about her parents or anyone else. The doctor agreed that Ms. Cruise’s parents need not be informed of the test results; STD testing and treatments are allowed for minors without parent’s consent in most states anyway. So, Ms. Cruise has undergone STD and Pap smear tests to check if there were cervical changes. Test results revealed that Ms. Cruise contacted cervical cancer, so the doctor advised her to inform her boyfriend about her situation. However, Dr. Smith found out that the patient was involved with multiple sex partners since “sex parties” are rampant among the students. The doctor was advised that, not only should the patient’s family be informed, but also the school. Ms. Cruise’s condition may be a threat to public health because of the illicit sexual activities that are going on among students.
The attending doctor is now facing the predicament of breaking her promise, as it would pave the way towards extending the proper medical treatment to a grave medical condition that her patient is facing. The issue being faced by the doctor is breaching the nature of confidentiality that is highly observed in the medical and healthcare industry. Should she break her promise to the young girl so proper medical care will be given so she would have a higher chance of surviving her cancer? Should she expose her patient’s condition to the school administrators to make them wary of their student’s sexual behaviors? Should she stick to her promise of not divulging the information; since doctor-patient confidentiality is essential in health care services?
Analysis
Confidentiality is very important in the health care profession. Trust is built between the patient and the health care giver. It is important that the latter regards all information as highly confidential from public knowledge unless consent to disclosure would come from the patient (De Bord, Burke, and Dudzinski).
Ethical responsibility is highly regarded by medical practitioners but what will happen if they are faced in an event where a breach of confidence is expected to happen? Will he hold on to his moral duties to his patient even if it means putting at risk his patient’s life and others? Or, will he take the chance of violating the trust to save the patient’s life and save other people from being exposed to the same situation?
The case in point talks about balancing between the doctor’s ethical responsibility of preserving the patient’s confidential information and his moral obligation of keeping the patient alive and saving the whole community from harm. Dr. Smith’s dilemma puts her virtues to the test because a lot are at stake once she decides what to do with the information she has. If she decides to maintain her silence and keep her promise to her patient, she upholds to her professional vow of confidentiality of patients’ information. But, this decision compromises, not only the life of her patient, but public safety as well. If she decides, however, to reveal the information to the patient’s family and the school authorities; she extends the life of her patient and contains the spread of disease in the community. This other option, however, exposes the patient, who may file a case against the doctor because of breaching the confidentiality law. If the case turns out to be favorable to the patient, the doctor may be punished by law through suspension or totally kicked out of the medical profession.
In the case, Dr. Smith’s virtues were obviously challenged as she was confronted to choose to do what is right. Trusting that the doctor is a virtuous person, so it is expected that she knows what is right and good. She is a practical thinker and chooses what is beneficial to everybody in the end (Pellegrino, 257).
Recommendation:
. Sometimes, people are compelled to do what they do to comply with certain laws. The doctor, as mentioned in the case above has a code of ethics to comply with, but her practical mind, influenced virtues would make her realize that her duty is not confined to her patient alone. Being a medical practitioner, she has a more serious obligation of promoting a safe and healthy community. She knows that her profession is all about saving people’s lives. Information that she obtains from all of her patients shall be used only to render proper and sufficient treatment. In the course of treatment and the need to breach confidentiality is inevitable; then, let it be; for breaching the trust will ultimately bring goodness not only to the patient but the whole society. There is no correct answer whether it is all right to breach the confidentiality law or not, but one thing is sure, if it is for the good of the many then, it must be right. It is, therefore, imperative among health care professionals to always keep a balance between ethical obligation and moral responsibility. It is in this light that a utilitarian approach to ethics seems practical since it is focused on providing happiness to the majority of people (Ethical Theories).
With a utilitarian approach and applying practical virtues, Dr. Smith should no longer doubt that she needs to divulge the information to concerned people who will be able to help facilitate the fast recovery of her patient. The parents should be informed about the condition of their daughter and secure consent to proceed with other treatments to facilitate early recovery. The school administrators should also be informed discreetly about what happened to their student and what have caused the illness. With this information, the doctor is only hoping that the irresponsible activities of the students in the campus will be put a stop to keep the student population away from the possible threat of a serious illness.
Works Cited
De Bord, Jessica, Wylie Burke, and Denise M. Dudzinski. "Confidentiality: Ethical Topic in Medicine." depts.washington.edu. University of Washington, 6 Mar. 2014. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
Ethical Theories. 1st ed. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
Kant, Immanuel, and Thomas K. Abbott. Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals. Raleigh: Alex Catalogue, 1990. Print.
Pellegrino, Edmund D. "Toward a Virtue-Based Normative Ethics for the Health Professions." Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 5.3 (1995): n. pag. Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
