Hussein Rassool
Islamic Online University
Title: Ethical Dimensions of Caring: Patient Safety Considerations in Practice
Biography
Biography: Hussein Rassool
Abstract
Professionals are often confronted with ethical and legal dilemmas related to various ethical principles. The aim of the paper is to identify the ethical issues related to patient’s safety in clinical practice. Many dilemmas are by products of advanced medical technologies and therapies developed over the past several decades. The issues in clinical practice that can be an ethical concern include: When there is conflict of moral values, beliefs, and objectives; conflict of commitments and responsibilities; when there is the concern that our patients’ rights/values are not respected; when the issue in focus is related to justice in allocating the available resources; and inability in decision-making. However, according to the Institute of Medicine report, “patient safety is not solely about addressing general systems issues to prevent the failure of a planned action to be completed as intended or the use of a wrong plan to achieve an aim (such as administering the wrong medication or dosage). It also includes: “avoiding misdiagnosis, preventing patients from exposure unnecessary risks; and ensuring informed consent.” In the ‘just culture’ context of quality and safety in caring and medical interventions, there should be no harm caused to patients’ due to negligence/recklessness, at-risk behaviour and inadvertent action. Health care professionals have an ethical duty to advocate for their patients, and it is an expected competence to provide effective advocacy.