APA format, 300 word, references Select an ethical dilemma related to health policy from the categories of moral values, professional regulation, health of individuals in society, or distributive justice. What are the controversies surrounding this issue? What are the opposing ethical principles? How has past or current health policy addressed this dilemma? Support your reasoning with reference citations.
Title: Ethical Dilemmas in Health Policy: A Critical Investigation
Introduction:
Ethical dilemmas in health policy pose significant challenges due to their complex nature, often involving conflicting values and principles. This paper explores one such ethical dilemma related to health policy and analyzes the controversies surrounding the issue as well as the opposing ethical principles. The discussion also delves into the strategies adopted by past and current health policies to address the dilemma.
Ethical Dilemma: Allocating Scarce Medical Resources during Public Health Emergencies
One of the ethical dilemmas in health policy that has garnered attention is the allocation of scarce medical resources during public health emergencies. This issue gained prominence during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as healthcare systems faced the challenge of allocating limited resources such as ventilators, intensive care beds, and personal protective equipment (PPE) effectively. The dilemma emerges from the tension between two ethical principles: maximizing individual patient outcomes (utilitarianism) and treating patients fairly (justice).
Controversies Surrounding the Issue:
The allocation of scarce medical resources sparks controversies due to multiple factors. First, the scarcity of resources compels policymakers to make difficult decisions about who should receive priority access. The question arises: should patients be selected based on their potential to benefit from the treatment (utilitarian approach) or should equal consideration be given to all individuals regardless of their chances of survival (principle of justice)?
Second, the controversy stems from the inherent biases in the allocation process. Biases may be based on factors such as age, pre-existing conditions, socio-economic status, or race. These biases raise concerns regarding fairness, equity, and potential discrimination in resource allocation.
Opposing Ethical Principles:
Two opposing ethical principles guide the debates surrounding the allocation of scarce medical resources during public health emergencies: utilitarianism and principles of justice.
Utilitarianism is a consequentialist ethical theory that prioritizes actions that maximize overall happiness or utility. Applying this principle to the allocation dilemma, resources would be given to those patients with the greatest chance of survival or potential life years saved. Proponents argue that this approach achieves the greatest benefit for the overall population, as it saves the most lives and maximizes the overall well-being.
Principles of justice, on the other hand, emphasize fairness, equality, and treating all individuals equally irrespective of their individual characteristics. According to this principle, resources should be distributed based on set criteria, such as a first-come, first-served basis, a lottery system, or through the use of specific demographic characteristics. Advocates of justice argue that all individuals have an equal right to access healthcare resources regardless of their potential to benefit.
Past and Current Health Policy Approaches:
Past and current health policies have attempted to address this ethical dilemma through various strategies. These strategies are aimed at striking a balance between maximizing individual health outcomes and ensuring fairness in resource allocation.
One approach is the development of triage protocols that guide healthcare providers in allocating resources during emergencies. These protocols establish criteria for determining priority access to treatments based on a combination of factors, such as potential for survival, severity of illness, and age. Triage protocols are designed to ensure that resources are allocated in a fair and evidence-based manner, although they may face challenges in implementation and ethical justifiability.
Additionally, health policies may emphasize the need for transparency, public engagement, and ethical deliberation when developing allocation guidelines. Including diverse perspectives can help address potential biases and ensure a more inclusive decision-making process. Moreover, health policies can encourage ongoing evaluation and revision to reflect evolving ethical considerations and advances in medical knowledge.
Conclusion:
Ethical dilemmas in health policy, such as the allocation of scarce medical resources during public health emergencies, necessitate careful consideration of opposing ethical principles. Balancing utilitarianism or maximizing individual outcomes with principles of justice or fairness is a challenge for policymakers. Past and current health policies have attempted to address this dilemma through the development of triage protocols and emphasizing transparency and public engagement. The ongoing debate surrounding this issue highlights the complexity of ethical decision-making and the need for continuous reflection and adaptation in health policy formulation.