An Ethical Analysis of Contemporary Healthcare Practices and Issues

Gerald Mark Breen, Michael Loyal, Vanessa Littleton, Binyam Seblega, Seung Chun Paek, Vanessa Lopez-Littleton

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Abstract

The purpose of this analysis is to examine specific segments of healthcare policy and practice, applying various ethical perspectives. We examine the economic and political influences that surround ethical behavior in health services, as well as how practitioners, patients, and families respond and act as a result of such influences. We then delve into the fundamental principles that guide ethical behavior by medical practitioners, including the Hippocratic Oath and vows of medical professionalism. Further, we analyze disparities in healthcare provisions based on gender, race, and ethnicity. Ethical theory is weaved into each of these sections, as the philosophical and ethical writings of prominent scholars illuminate how the conditions of contemporary healthcare administration are affected by the injustices and political influences that pervade the entire health services industry.
Original languageAmerican English
JournalOnline Journal of Health Ethics
Volume5
DOIs
StatePublished - 2008

Keywords

  • Ethics
  • Health Services
  • Justice
  • Patients
  • Physicians
  • Professionalism

Disciplines

  • Bioethics and Medical Ethics
  • Health Services Administration
  • Health Policy

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