Code of Ethics in Jewish General Hospital

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Clarity of Goals
Identified Ethical Principles
Grievance Procedures
Feasibility of Enforcing
Recommendations for Strengthening
Description of Sample Codes of Ethics
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Code of ethics is one of the integral parts of the health care components enabling health care professionals to act in accordance with defined algorithms while patients have their rights and may enforce feasibility of codes. Even though the institutional codes of ethics may differ based on the communities they serve, they all are aimed at providing professionals with guidelines for dealing with health of people correspondingly with regard to the “rapid advances in medical and biological sciences” (Larijani and Zahedi, 2008, p. 192). Codes of ethics applied to healthcare reflect the priority of the patient’s dignity against the advancement of medical practices and economic issues. The concept of contemporary healthcare ethics has been in use since the mid 20th century giving originated from the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) that was ratified by almost all nations, and is also supported by major religions (Breen et al., 2008; Montoya and Richard, 1994). This paper will focus on the code of ethics belonging to the Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital, often shortened to The Jewish General Hospital (JGH). JGH is an acute-care McGill University teaching hospital based in Montreal with branches on the international arena.

Clarity of Goals

Created in 2003, the JGH code of ethics is intended to set up a structure for collaborative liaison among the institution’s patients, their families, and the JHG’s staff. As a caution, the document mentions that the code is not a complete list of its patients’ full legal rights. Besides, there may be exceptions to the rights mentioned in the document. The goal is clear outlining the collaborative relationships between the staff members, patients, and their families so that no prone to misinterpretation occurs. Due to variations in cultures of the communities served, the code cautions that the information contained therein is not conclusive (Jewish General Hospital, 2003).

Identified Ethical Principles

Respect. The JHG code of ethics lists though is not limited to the basic ethical principles that are supposed to be followed by caregivers, patients, and their families. One of the most important ethical principles in this document is the respect for one another, to which the code affirms that all persons including patients, families, visitors, personnel, volunteers, and students in the health premises have every right to be respected and to be handled in a civil and helpful way. The concept of respect has also been extended to include the respect for culture: The caregivers must be responsive to the patient’s cultural needs.

Non-Discrimination. Another important ethical principle identified in the document is non-discrimination. The paper emphasizes that every patient must be treated fairly and impartially. As such, “language, race, religion, ethnic origin, political affiliation, social status, gender, sexual orientation, age, or health status” are aspects included into non-discrimination policy of the health care institution (Jewish General Hospital, 2003, par. 14).

Other principles outline the rights and duties of the patients and staff members of the health care institution including the right of every patient for quality care and cooperation between patients and health care providers. At the same time, rights and duties of all stakeholders are not limited to the ones suggested in the code of ethics of the Jewish General Hospital.

Grievance Procedures

This particular code of ethics does not describe the procedure for grievances. However, patients are encouraged to talk to the hospital staff freely and openly about any issue they may deem appropriate. Additionally, cooperation between staff members and patients is aimed at promoting open way of talking about problems and suggesting possible solutions.

Feasibility of Enforcing

Generally, the JHG code of ethics does not contain any complex processes that may impede its implementation, rather, the information contained therein the document is plain, and there are no ambiguous or inconsistent statements. As such, the implementation of the code is likely to proceed smoothly. However, some sections of the code of ethics may not be strictly enforced. For instance, the enforcement of the sections relating to noise and phone use may become a problem due to part ambiguity and impracticability. The former refers to the fact that ‘noise’ is relative and varies while actual levels of sounds that amount to ‘noise’ may be difficult to quantify while the latter refers to the fact that in a hospital environment, urgent phone calls are unavoidable and patients, their families, or visitors may not be restricted on the time or place at which calls can be received.

Another area that may create a problem is that of getting the patient’s consent regarding the form of care to be given (Jewish General Hospital, 2003). Though health care professionals can suggest more appropriate methods of treatment, the prior consent of the patient or his/her family should be received in accordance with the code of ethics.

Recommendations for Strengthening

The ambiguity of restricting phone calls can be clarified by providing a distance around the patient facilities in which phone calls are not allowed, or in unavoidable cases, callers must speak in low tones. The policy on noise can be clarified by indicating the types of sounds not allowed within the hospital, such as vehicle hooting, loud laughs or shouts, and similarly loud sounds.

Another weakness that can be changed and improved in the code of ethics of the Jewish General Hospital is the right of every patient to choose their preferred mode of care while they may not have the necessary qualifications required in making such medical decisions. Each caregiver should assess the condition of the patient and, based professionalism and experience, recommend the best form of care (Shannon et al., 2009). However, he/she must discuss the choice with the patient or representative regarding the benefits, risks and the general results of the care option (Chambliss, 1996).

Description of Sample Codes of Ethics

An example of a sample code of ethics is dealing with information and consent to care, where the JHG code of ethics avows that no patient will be compelled to undergo any form of care against his/her wish. In emergency situations where the patient cannot give permission, and with the absence of a representative, the hospital shall provide the required treatment (Jewish General Hospital, 2003). Each patient receives full information regarding the state of health and care options available, including the risks and advantages. Before treatment begins, the patient’s questions and concerns must be catered for.

Conclusion

Code of ethics of the Jewish General Hospital is clear and contains no ambiguous meanings concerning the roles, rights, and duties of the health care professionals, patients, and their families. As such, this document can be considered a model though some weak points should be improved regarding the noise and phone use policies regarding the contemporary era of increasing importance of the cell phone and communication opportunities using this device.

References

Breen, G., et al. (2008). An ethical analysis of contemporary healthcare practices and issues. Online Journal of Health Ethics, 5(2): 1-20.

Chambliss, D. F. (1996). Beyond caring: hospitals, nurses, and the social organization of ethics. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Jewish General Hospital. (2003). Code of ethics: Code of ethical responsibilities towards patients and statement of expectations of patients. Web.

Larijani, B., & Zahedi, F. (2008). Contemporary medical ethics: An overview from Iran. Developing World Bioethics, 8(3): 192–196.

Montoya, I. D. & Richard, A. J. (1994). A comparative study of codes of ethics in health care facilities and energy companies. Journal of Business Ethics, 13(9): 713-717.

Shannon, S. E., et al. (2009). Disclosing errors to patients: perspectives of registered nurses. Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, 35(1): 5-12.

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