Ethical Issues Therapeutic Hypothermia

Question: Discuss about the Ethical Issues Therapeutic Hypothermia. Answer: Introduction: Ethics refers to standards enacted in a profession to guide ones conduct to be right or wrong (Wilkinson, 2008). Ethics enables professionalism in an industry creating and maintaining favorable environment for performing a task. They usually involve the quality practices that ensure there is competent staying using professional judgment and ensuring professional boundaries in a therapeutic relationships are maintained as long as patient right are concern. The following ethical issues arise; fist, solicitation of client. The physiotherapist should always ensure there is no exploitation of either patient or the patient caregivers. This can either be sexually or financially in order to meet the interest of the patient or the patient caregivers. Second, there arise instance of informed consent (Smith, 2009). This involves informing a patient on research subject of the risk, benefits and expected outcome of the therapeutic approach in which they have agreed to take. Lastly are testimonial s. This involves self disclosure to the patient about issues that end up affecting the patient or their caregivers. This is usually due to personal closeness to the patient resulting to disclosure hence witnessing emotional behavior and physical closeness. Patient caregivers rights to physiotherapist need to limit the extent of confidentiality by enquiring from the client the person to contact incase of any emergency. Also the nature of record keeping should be put into concern as long patient caregivers have the right to information by obeying mandatory reporting law. Physiotherapist need to carefully balance the disclosure done with their ethical obligation to protect their patient confidentiality. This is done by providing client with the information they need to give their informed consent right before they do it. Also should understand what constitute a multiple relationship to avoid impairing their professional performance to avoid disclosing client confidentiality as long pat ient caregivers right to the information is concern. Therefore, utmost care should be taken to ensure dignity and respect of the patient is maintained during and after a therapeutic relationship. References Smith, D. (2017). 10 ways practitioners can avoid frequent ethical pitfalls. [online] https://www.apa.org. Available at: https://www.apa.org/monitor/jan03/10ways.aspx [Accessed 8 Apr. 2017]. Wilkinson, D. (2008). Cool heads: ethical issues associated with therapeutic hypothermia for newborns. Acta Paediatrica, 98(2), pp.217-220.