What Are Some Examples of Ethical Issues Dealt With in Healthcare?

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Some examples of ethical issues in healthcare include balancing quality of care and efficiency, addressing end-of-life issues and allocating limited medications and organ donors. Although these are just a few examples, ethical issues in healthcare are common. Every decision made could impact a life, and that carries a weight of ethical responsibility with it.

The ethical concerns over balancing quality of care and efficiency come up often. Healthcare providers want to provide the best care possible, but sometimes efficiency gets in the way. Perhaps the hospital administration feels that one less nurse is acceptable to meet the needs of the patients. By requiring each nurse spend less time chatting with patients, the nurses can see more patients. That decision saves the hospital money, but may not provide a level of quality care when the other nurses become overwhelmed. Not to mention the distress that might actually cause the patients.