1. Mistrust of the Healthcare System
Refer to:
Legal and Ethical Essentials of Health Care Administration (Pozgar, 2014)
o Chapter 15: End-of-Life Issues
o Chapter 16: AIDS
Answer
• A significant demographic of the public harbors a deeply rooted mistrust of the healthcare system. They do not trust medical providers to be open or honest with them. They fear the privacy of their medical records will not be respected, and that they will not receive the care that they need.
• As you consider this issue, what has created this mistrust?
• As an ethical leader, how would you respond to address this concern?
2. The Influence of Henrietta Lacks
Refer to:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Skloot, 2011)
o Pages 311-337
Answer
• At the time of the book’s publication, how had the lives of Henrietta’s great- and great-great-grandchildren been affected by Skloot’s research, and by the knowledge and understanding of Henrietta’s contribution to science?
3.Obligation to Release Medical Records
Refer to:
Legal and Ethical Essentials of Health Care Administration (Pozgar, 2014)
o Chapter 18: Medical Records
Answer
• Failure to release a patient’s record can lead to legal action, as can releasing a patient’s record without the appropriate authorization. Should a provider/organization always be obligated to release a medical record or are there any circumstances when this release should be denied?
• Please explain your answer.
4.HeLa – Identify or Keep Confidential?
Refer to:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Skloot, 2011)
Answer
• Do you agree that Henrietta should have been correctly identified in order to “give her the fame she so richly deserves”?
• Or do you think her anonymity should have been protected?
5.Limiting Organizational Liability
Refer to:
Legal and Ethical Essentials of Health Care Administration (Pozgar, 2014)
o Chapter 20: Professional Liability Insurance
o Chapter 23: Employee Rights and Responsibilities
o Chapter 24: Tort Reform
o Chapter 25: Culture of Safety
Answer
• Describe some of the challenges that healthcare faces in ensuring appropriate safeguards are taken to limit liability exposure within the organization.
• Proffer 2-3 suggestions to ameliorate these challenges and discuss the resultant impact on healthcare costs, quality, and employee rights.
6. The Hindsight of HeLa Cells
Refer to:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Skloot, 2011)
Answer
• If Henrietta Lacks could know how important her cells have been to science, do you think she would approve of the fact that they were taken from her without her knowledge or consent?