Fifth year medical student Pumzile Molimi reflects on the ethical challenges faced in modern day healthcare.
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Ethics is at the core of medical practice, guiding healthcare professionals through complex decisions that impact patients, families, and society. With rapid advancements in medicine, several ethical dilemmas have arisen, challenging how we handle new technologies, patient rights, and societal expectations. Here’s a look at some of the key ethical issues in healthcare today.
- Patient Autonomy vs. Beneficence
One of the biggest ethical balancing acts in medicine is between respecting patient autonomy (their right to make their own decisions) and beneficence (the duty to act in the patient’s best interest). New technologies, like genetic testing, add complexity to this balance. While these tools offer valuable insights and potential treatments, they also raise questions about how much information patients should have and their right to remain unaware of certain details.
- End-of-Life Care and Decision-Making
End-of-life care presents tough ethical questions, especially when it comes to deciding whether to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatments. Healthcare professionals must navigate the patient’s wishes, family expectations, and the effectiveness of treatments. The debate over physician-assisted suicide and the responsibilities of providers to ensure comfort and dignity further complicates these decisions.
- Resource Allocation and Equity
Deciding how to allocate limited healthcare resources is a persistent ethical challenge. Factors like organ shortages, high costs of therapies, and unequal access to care create difficult choices. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted these issues, forcing healthcare systems to prioritize treatment and allocate scarce resources like ventilators and ICU beds. Ethical principles around fairness and equity are essential in addressing these tough decisions.
- Informed Consent and Emerging Technologies
New medical technologies, such as AI and genetic editing, offer exciting possibilities but also bring ethical concerns. Ensuring informed consent—making sure patients fully understand the risks, benefits, and alternatives of new treatments—becomes more complex with experimental therapies and advanced technologies. As medical knowledge grows, maintaining transparency and patient understanding is increasingly challenging.
- Professional Integrity and Conflicts of Interest
Maintaining professional integrity and managing conflicts of interest are crucial for healthcare providers. Issues like pharmaceutical influence, financial incentives, and industry partnerships can potentially impact medical decision-making and patient care. Strong ethical guidelines and institutional policies are vital to managing these conflicts and maintaining trust between patients and healthcare professionals.
Navigating ethical dilemmas in modern medicine requires a deep understanding of ethical principles, thoughtful reflection, and adherence to evolving standards. Healthcare professionals must continually reflect on ethical issues, prioritize patient-centred care, and advocate for policies that support patient welfare and societal well-being.
Pumzile Molimi, MBCHB V, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, South Africa.
References:
- Beauchamp TL, Childress JF. *Principles of Biomedical Ethics*. Oxford University Press; 7th edition, 2012.
- Emanuel EJ, et al. *The Oxford Textbook of Clinical Research Ethics*. Oxford University Press, 2008.
- American Medical Association. "AMA Code of Medical Ethics." Accessed July 2024. [AMA Code of Medical Ethics](https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/ethics/ama-code-medical-ethics)
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