ethics in emergency services – who cares? ethics in emergency services – who cares? dr. erica...
TRANSCRIPT
Ethics in Emergency Ethics in Emergency Services – WHO CARES?Services – WHO CARES?
Ethics in Emergency Ethics in Emergency Services – WHO CARES?Services – WHO CARES?
Dr. Erica French 29th September 2007
Issues Issues Influences Influences
Investigation Investigation ImplementationImplementation
ISSUESISSUES
Ethics - DefinedEthics - DefinedEthics - DefinedEthics - Defined
Concerns the moral philosophy, Concerns the moral philosophy, values and norms of behaviour that values and norms of behaviour that guide activities within societyguide activities within society
Top ethical issues Top ethical issues
International survey of 300 International survey of 300 companies identified the following companies identified the following ethics issues ethics issues Conflicts of Interest Conflicts of Interest 91%91% Inappropriate gifts Inappropriate gifts 9191 Sexual harassmentSexual harassment 9191 Unauthorised paymentsUnauthorised payments 8585 Equity in diversityEquity in diversity 8484
Ethical Issues contEthical Issues cont
Women (n=1400) identified the Women (n=1400) identified the following as occurring frequently in following as occurring frequently in businessbusiness Managers lying to employeesManagers lying to employees Expense account abuses at high levelsExpense account abuses at high levels Office nepotism and favouritismOffice nepotism and favouritism Taking credit of another’s workTaking credit of another’s work
Ethics Issues in EMSEthics Issues in EMS
Decline in ethics standards due to Decline in ethics standards due to poor resourcing of EMSpoor resourcing of EMS
Generational changeGenerational change Standards higher todayStandards higher today Passion for service in declinePassion for service in decline Lack of honesty by management Lack of honesty by management
Fallacies, Myths and RealitiesFallacies, Myths and Realities
Ethics – private not public affairEthics – private not public affair Business and ethics don’t mixBusiness and ethics don’t mix Ethics can be managedEthics can be managed Rules and laws may be insufficient to Rules and laws may be insufficient to
guide morally complex decisionsguide morally complex decisions
Dilbert page 65Dilbert page 65
Source: The Dilbert Principle, Scott Adams, HarperBusiness, 1996
INFLUENCESINFLUENCES
Influencing FactorsInfluencing FactorsInfluencing FactorsInfluencing Factors
Problem DefinitionProblem Definition Individual Factors Individual Factors Organisational FactorsOrganisational Factors External FactorsExternal Factors Ethical PrinciplesEthical Principles
Problem DefinitionProblem DefinitionProblem DefinitionProblem Definition
Problem Definition and Problem Definition and IdentificationIdentification Different levels and perspectiveDifferent levels and perspective How would you define the How would you define the
problem if you stood on the other problem if you stood on the other side of the fence?side of the fence?
Individual and Organisational Individual and Organisational FactorsFactors
Individual and Organisational Individual and Organisational FactorsFactors
Individual Factors Individual Factors Moral ResponsibilityMoral Responsibility Stages of DevelopmentStages of Development
Organisational Culture Organisational Culture Values, beliefs, goals, normsValues, beliefs, goals, norms Social ResponsibilitySocial Responsibility
External FactorsExternal Factors National valuesNational values CompetitionCompetition HistoryHistory
Ethical PrinciplesEthical PrinciplesEthical PrinciplesEthical Principles
UTILITY UTILITY HUMAN RIGHTSHUMAN RIGHTS JUSTICEJUSTICE INTEGRATIVEINTEGRATIVE
UtilitarianismUtilitarianismUtilitarianismUtilitarianism
Greatest good for the greatest Greatest good for the greatest number of people affected by it.number of people affected by it.
Actions judged as right, good, or Actions judged as right, good, or wrong depending on consequences.wrong depending on consequences.
Ends justifies the meansEnds justifies the means Benefits should outweigh costs of Benefits should outweigh costs of
other alternativesother alternatives
Utilitarianism and ManagementUtilitarianism and ManagementUtilitarianism and ManagementUtilitarianism and Management Benefits Benefits
considers collective good considers collective good collective rather than individual values collective rather than individual values
influence behaviourinfluence behaviour Limitations Limitations
Non-monetary stakes (health, safety, Non-monetary stakes (health, safety, environment) are hard to measure, collectivistenvironment) are hard to measure, collectivist
Problems Problems changing societal and workforce composition; changing societal and workforce composition; changing societal and workforce values.changing societal and workforce values.
RIGHTSRIGHTSRIGHTSRIGHTS
Protects individual freedom, dignity Protects individual freedom, dignity and choiceand choice
Driven by individual entitlementDriven by individual entitlement Based on legal rights and principle of Based on legal rights and principle of
dutyduty Viewed from individual perspective Viewed from individual perspective
rather than societal or group view.rather than societal or group view.
Rights and ManagementRights and ManagementRights and ManagementRights and Management Benefits Benefits
supports basic entitlements; eg anti -supports basic entitlements; eg anti -discrimination legislation overcomes discrimination legislation overcomes utilitarianismutilitarianism
Limitations Limitations can be used by some groups to own can be used by some groups to own
advantageadvantage Problems Problems
determining rights and duties; determining rights and duties; addressing cultural differences.addressing cultural differences.
JusticeJusticeJusticeJustice
All persons should be treated All persons should be treated fairlyfairly
Based on principles of fairness Based on principles of fairness and equalityand equality
All persons should have equal All persons should have equal opportunity to share in opportunity to share in society’s benefits and burdens society’s benefits and burdens
Justice and ManagementJustice and ManagementJustice and ManagementJustice and Management
BenefitsBenefits addresses unfair distribution of access addresses unfair distribution of access
to serviceto service Limitations Limitations
rules and processes determining justice rules and processes determining justice may not be transparent or fair.may not be transparent or fair.
Problems Problems determining who is right and who is determining who is right and who is
wrong; power, cultural norms. wrong; power, cultural norms.
Principle Principle ValueValue OutcomeOutcome
UtilityUtility Greatest good Greatest good for greatest for greatest numbernumber
All patients be All patients be transportedtransported
Human Human RightsRights
Individual Individual entitlemententitlement
Patients’ Patients’ rights and rights and paramedic paramedic dutiesduties
JusticeJustice Community Community fairnessfairness
Group Group decisiondecision
INVESTIGATIONINVESTIGATION
ResearchResearch
Survey - 59 ACAP MembersSurvey - 59 ACAP Members Interviews – 6Interviews – 6
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
Individual Org
Utility
Rights
Justice
Cost Benefit ratiosIndividual dignity
Conflict in EMSConflict in EMS
Conflict with personal ethical standardsConflict with personal ethical standards Superiors (65%)Superiors (65%) Medical staff (60%)Medical staff (60%)
Conflict with institutional practicesConflict with institutional practices Transparency (60%)Transparency (60%) Equal access to promotion or transfer (60%)Equal access to promotion or transfer (60%) Honesty (57%)Honesty (57%) Equal access to training (50%)Equal access to training (50%) Discrimination (40%)Discrimination (40%)
Organisational ProcessesOrganisational Processes Comparisons of ethical standards Comparisons of ethical standards
over timeover time - Inconclusive - Inconclusive Inappropriate processesInappropriate processes
Dishonest dealing with employees (70%)Dishonest dealing with employees (70%) Lack of information disclosure to Lack of information disclosure to
employees (66%)employees (66%) Harassment and bullying (63%)Harassment and bullying (63%)
Eliminating inappropriate processesEliminating inappropriate processes Dishonest dealing with employees (65%)Dishonest dealing with employees (65%) Current roster practices (65%)Current roster practices (65%) Information disclosure (63%)Information disclosure (63%)
ConsultationConsultation
Consultation with others on ethics Consultation with others on ethics conflictconflict Colleagues (60%)Colleagues (60%) Supervisors (51%)Supervisors (51%) Friends (36%)Friends (36%) Only 7% approached ethics committeeOnly 7% approached ethics committee Only 2% approached LACOnly 2% approached LAC
Most helpful in consultation processMost helpful in consultation process Colleagues (48%)Colleagues (48%) Friends (29%)Friends (29%)
Ethics in EMSEthics in EMS
Factors of higher ethical standardsFactors of higher ethical standards Increase in higher educationIncrease in higher education Code of conductCode of conduct Increased professionalismIncreased professionalism Ethics trainingEthics training Increase in public awarenessIncrease in public awareness
Factors of lower ethical standardsFactors of lower ethical standards Poor rewards for Ambulance professionalsPoor rewards for Ambulance professionals Poor resource allocation for EMSPoor resource allocation for EMS Poor work life balance Poor work life balance
Future for the ProfessionFuture for the Profession
FutureFuture Stay in the profession (65%)Stay in the profession (65%) Elsewhere (25%)Elsewhere (25%) Nursing and other (6%)Nursing and other (6%) Retire (4%)Retire (4%)
IMPLEMENTATIONIMPLEMENTATION
Ethics management challenges to Ethics management challenges to meet the emergency medical meet the emergency medical
service requirementservice requirement 11. . Recognition of competing interests in Recognition of competing interests in
ethical dilemmas ethical dilemmas 2. Finding a balance2. Finding a balance 3. Building a culture of trust 3. Building a culture of trust
Acknowledgment of conflictAcknowledgment of conflict Recognition of competence and accomplishmentRecognition of competence and accomplishment Ethics codes and trainingEthics codes and training Support for employee decision-makingSupport for employee decision-making Audit of organisational practices Audit of organisational practices Improved communication processesImproved communication processes
Ethics in Emergency Ethics in Emergency Services – WHO CARES?Services – WHO CARES?
Ethics in Emergency Ethics in Emergency Services – WHO CARES?Services – WHO CARES?
Dr. Erica French 29th September 2007