Ethical Issues and Approaches

Ethical issues in health and social care refer to moral dilemmas or conflicts that arise due to differing views, values, and beliefs about what is right or wrong.
Common ethical issues include patient autonomy, confidentiality, informed consent, equality and diversity, dignity and respect, and safeguarding.
Patient autonomy refers to the right of individuals to make decisions regarding their own healthcare and wellbeing. Care professionals must respect this, even when they disagree with the individual’s choices.
Confidentiality involves handling sensitive information about individuals in a respectful and careful manner. Information should only be shared to relevant professionals and only when necessary to provide care.
Informed consent is getting permission or agreement from an individual before any treatment or care process. They must be fully informed about all aspects of the treatment or care process, including benefits, risks, and alternatives.
Equality and diversity involve ensuring all individuals are treated fairly and without bias or discrimination. Differences in culture, religion, age, gender, or sexual orientation should not affect the quality or standard of care.
Promoting dignity and respect is about treating individuals in a way that upholds their self-esteem and self-worth. All interactions should be respectful, and offensive or demeaning behaviour should not be tolerated.
Ethical approaches in health and social care include the application of ethical theories - deontology, utilitarianism, and virtue ethics.
Deontology is an ethical theory that considers actions as right or wrong based on certain rules and duties. In this approach, the morality of an act is determined by whether it aligns with set rules, rather than the outcome.
Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that decides the best course of action based on the outcome that will create the most happiness or benefit for the most people. This approach might be used when making decisions about resource allocation.
Virtue ethics is an ethical theory which focuses on the inherent character of a person rather than specific actions. The focus of this model is being rather than doing.
Balancing ethical issues can be challenging and often requires a person-centred approach, where the unique needs and wishes of each individual are the central focus of any care provided.
Having a good understanding of ethical issues and approaches can help professionals predict potential conflicts or difficulties and take proactive steps to prevent or address them.
Regular training, case discussions, and supervision can support care professionals in developing their ethical competencies, so they can navigate complex ethical scenarios in ways that uphold the rights and interests of the individuals in their care.