Ethical Issues In Healthcare

Words: 1089
Pages: 5
Open Document
This paper focuses on the ethical biases healthcare workers exhibit in the treatment of the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) aka “homosexual” patient. The premise for this paper is that LGBT patients are discriminated against in healthcare because of their sexual orientation. I will show evidence to support the argument that LGBT patients are not treated equal due to ethical dilemmas of the healthcare organization and provider. As healthcare leaders it’s our responsibility to create a welcoming environment for our LGBT patients and their community.
What does LGBT mean?
• Lesbian is female identified as a person who is attracted romantically, physically or emotionally to another female-identified person (Merriam-Webster, …show more content…
It is estimated that approximately 2.3% of Americans make up the LGBT population in the U.S. (NHIS 2014). These people have often been discriminated against in the healthcare organizations and should have access to quality health care. According to Dolan (2012) a recent report by Lambda Legal found that 56% of lesbian, gay and bisexual people and 70% of transgender people have been discriminated against while accessing healthcare in the U.S. The discrimination experienced by LGBT individuals ranged from the healthcare worker refusing to touch them to taking unneeded universal precautions before doing so; being spoken to disrespectfully with harsh language, and receiving rough physical treatment. A study conducted by Snelgrove, Jasudavisius, Rowe, Head and Bauer (2012) revealed that specific barriers to healthcare for the transgender patient included medical knowledge deficits of the practitioner, ethics of transition-related medical care, and diagnosing vs. treating them as physically abnormal or unhealthy. Research has shown that the LGBT patients’ physical and/or mental health condition is erroneously diagnosed and attributed to their LGBT status (Snowdon, …show more content…
It’s surprising that to date there are still clinicians diagnosing and treating being “homosexual” as a mental disorder when in 1973 “homosexuality” was removed from the mental disorder list moving away from curing homosexuals to treating their health concerns. However, there are still many clinicians who conceptualize homosexuality as a mental disorder and reject the mainstream view that homosexuality is not a mental disorder. Their clinical theories are debatable but unethical just the same and violate the LGBT individuals right to receive the appropriate healthcare they are afforded and deserve under the
Show More

Related Documents: Ethical Issues In Healthcare

Ethical Healthcare Issues Essay

Running Head: ETHICAL HEALTHCARE Ethical Healthcare Issues Paper Wanda Douglas Health Law and Ethics/HCS 545 October 17, 2011 Nancy Moody Ethical Healthcare Issues Paper In today’s health care industry providing quality patient care and avoiding harm are the foundations of ethical practices. However, many health care professionals are not meeting the guidelines or expectations of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) or obeying the organizations code of ethics policies…

Words 1191 - Pages 5

Health Care Essay

the world healthcare is a right to every resident of that country. Governments in these countries and private sector provide healthcare to its residents as part of social safety nets. On average developing countries spend 1% to 2% of their GDP on safety nets. Social safety nets are non-contribution transfer programs for preventing the poor from falling below a given poverty level. As healthcare is aright accorded to all residents of the country, ethical issues are common in healthcare (Thobaben,…

Words 2167 - Pages 9

Jehovah's Ethical Dilemmas

Running Head: BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS AND JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES 1 The Ethical Dilemma Concerning Blood Transfusions and Jehovah's Witnesses Raquel Henriquez, Damaris Contreras, and Sangeetha Francis Kennesaw State University BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS AND JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES 2 The Ethical Dilemma Concerning Blood Transfusions and Jehovah's Witnesses Charles Taze Russell was the founder of the faith Jehovah's Witnesses. The religion dictates its followers to be politically neutral, not to celebrate Christmas or…

Words 1888 - Pages 8

What Are Healthcare Disparities?

Introduction Healthcare disparities, also known as healthcare inequalities, are a significant issue for healthcare systems around the world. These disparities include differences in healthcare outcomes, access, and quality of care among various demographic groups. We will first define the term, examine the reasons for healthcare disparities, and then discuss the application of bioethical theories and principles in order to explain them and provide effective solutions. Health care disparity Healthcare…

Words 731 - Pages 3

Administrative Ethics Essay

Administrative Ethics Carolyn Ervin HCS/335 Christine Singel Patient privacy is one of the largest challenges that we have in these industries of health care. There are many serious issues that can come from violating a patient privacy. Back in the early 19th century, there was not a law that protected the patients’ privacy are rights. When President Bill Clinton was in the office he created the “Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and it included fraud and…

Words 1194 - Pages 5

Code of Ethics Paper

What are the organization's goals? How are they tied to its ethical principles? The goals of the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare Systems (CAVHS), provides a variety of services to United States veterans. “…anchor a broad spectrum of inpatient and outpatient healthcare services, ranging from disease prevention through primary care, to complex surgical procedures, to extended rehabilitative care” (www.littlerock.va.gov 2013). The hospital’s code of ethics and core values include integrity, respect…

Words 331 - Pages 2

Ethical Issues In Health Care

Narrative: I selected this topic because patient healthcare records have always been considered extremely sensitive in nature and due to the delicate nature of patient healthcare data it has been widely kept from mobile based platforms and interconnected computerized systems. This potentially could have negative effects on healthcare professionals ethically and healthcare professionals are charged with safeguarding that data. Introducing patient data with vulnerable information technology systems…

Words 862 - Pages 4

Do They Healthcare About Us?

Do They Healthcare About Us? MGT 282 Ms. Stark November 21, 2011 Washington 1 There are many ethical issues surrounding the American healthcare industry. Health care insurance is meant to provide adequate financial service to support a person’s medical needs. In some instances these needs are not always met by insurance providers. For instance, a working class citizen with a standard HMO policy could be denied assistance upon diagnosis of a terminal illness such as cancer. There are…

Words 1074 - Pages 5

Nursing : Career Development Essay

Position Statement Introduction Nursing is a call to serve the humanity. Present day healthcare system focused on preventive care and wellness has become highly advanced which makes every nurse responsible to achieve maximum level of education, skills and power of knowledge to meet the challenges. Continuous research in nursing and the evidence obtained from the research serves to support the nursing care. Continuing education helps nurses to keep track of all the developments taking place…

Words 2134 - Pages 9

Summary: Beyond The Stethoscope

This study examines the impact of communication on patient trust in healthcare settings, particularly hospitals. The research question is: How does doctor – patient communication(s) affect patient trust? The hypothesis is that effective communication will have a positive impact on trust in doctors – patient relationships, leading to higher…

Words 2764 - Pages 12