Ethical Health Care Issues

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Ethical Health Care Issues Personal ethics will ultimately shape ones views and behaviors not only within the everyday walk of life, but additionally in the workplace and social scenarios alike. The health care industry provides no difference and some may argue that this is where the need for ethical behavior should be the most prevalent. In today’s modernized health care system, trends within the health care industry continue to raise various discussions as to whether certain specific situations pose ethical dilemmas for providers and health care workers. “Clinical organ transplantation has been recognized as one of the most gripping medical advances of the century as it provides a way of giving the gift of life to patients with terminal failure of vital organs, which requires the participation of other fellow human beings and of society by donating organs from deceased or living individuals” (Abouna, 2001). Ethical behavior should be an essential component as it relates to the structure and/or foundation of health care practices in today’s modern society. With the ever increasing challenges of health care and the rise in demand for organ transplants coupled with the decrease or limited supply of organs, the death rate due to extended wait times for transplant can continue to increase. Such issues have “raised many ethical, moral and societal issues” (Abouna, 2001). This paper will examine and evaluate how each of the four major ethical principles can be applied to the ethical health care dilemma of transplant allocation. Organ Transplantation “An organ transplant is a surgical operation where a failing or damaged organ in the human body is removed and replaced with a new one” (Childress, 2001). In order to receive an organ transplant, an individual must qualify and be placed on a list of eligible candidates for organ donation recipients. They first

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