Possible Legal and Ethical Issues Raised by a Complaint

Ethics Board Brief
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Ethics Board Brief
MEMORANDUM
TO: Ethics Board
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT: Possible Legal and Ethical Issues Raised by a Complaint
The family of a former patient has submitted a complaint at the esteemed National Hospital and Health Care Center for Academic and Medical Excellence. The complaint is a loyal client at our facility, and the Board should strive to resolve the issue as soon as possible. The complaint case revealed considerable ethical and legal violations when they brought the mother-in-law for evaluation and treatment. After tests, it was established that the patient lacked adequate iron, hence the need for a blood transfusion, as implied by the medical practitioners. However, ethical and legal violations arose because the healthcare providers tried to insert a needle for blood transfusion without discussing it with the patient or immediate family members, which brought her to our facility.
It is evident that our facility violated the ethical principle of autonomy, which grants the patients or their immediate family members and friends the right to make their own decisions. The principle of autonomy further implies that the patient can disregard any medical interventions they deem inappropriate (Kadivar et al., 2017). As such, attempts to insert a need for blood transfusion without informing the patient or the people who brought them, especially if they are unable to make their own decisions, is ethically wrong. In fact, it can invite legal concerns, which can affect the reputation of the organization, resulting in a loss of client base and a lawsuit that can affect the financial position. Also, since the staff could not find a vein and she was crying, one can argue that the facility violated the nonmaleficence ethical principle. In this case, healthcare providers are expected to ensure patients are not exposed to any harm in the process of care delivery. According to Kadivar et al. (2017), the healthcare center is compelled to ensure the interventions adopted do cause harm and, at the same time beneficial to the patient. One is likely to interpret the incidence of trying to find the vein for the transfusion and her crying as an instance of ethical violations, primarily nonmaleficence.
The situation worsens as the complaint indicates that the mother-in-law is religious, and her religious beliefs do not champion blood transfusion. They indicate that nobody asked or discussed with them whether they would be okay with the transfusion. They also implicate the supervisor arguing that he stood there rather than intervening. As she resisted the transfusion attempts, she fell off her bed, which further exposed her to injuries. Her falling from the bed can also indicate a disregard for beneficence, which indicates that healthcare providers must embrace compassionate care, including ensuring the rails on the bed are well placed to limit falls. Apart from the beneficence ethical principle, her falling from the bed can also invite legal problems where they cite organizational negligence resulting in injuries. Lastly, the complaint is concerned criticizes our staff for messing around in a hospital room where their p...