Patients Rights and Responsibilities 2023 PDF

Patients Rights and Responsibilities subtitle Agenda ▪ Patient Responsibilities ▪ Practitioner Responsibilities ▪ Resolving Ethical Dilemmas ▪ Case Study Know your Rights What is the Patient Bill of Rights: ▪ A list of patients rights that gives guidance and protection to patients when...

Patients Rights and Responsibilities subtitle Agenda ▪ Patient Responsibilities ▪ Practitioner Responsibilities ▪ Resolving Ethical Dilemmas ▪ Case Study Know your Rights What is the Patient Bill of Rights: ▪ A list of patients rights that gives guidance and protection to patients when receiving treatment to ensure they obtain the most benefit possible from the health care they receive ▪ Patient’s Rights in Canada fall into 4 Main Categories 1. Full Discosure The right to be fully informed of: ▪ Their medical condition ▪ Treatment options available and risks associated with those options ▪ Qualifications of their health care provider 2. Privacy The right to privacy with regards to: ▪ Communicating with health professionals - they are required to keep all information confidential ▪ Health care records – access to records is restricted to public health services specifically for treatment 3. Access ▪ Access to a copies of all personal health records ▪ The right to a second opinion with regards to diagnosis and treatment 4. Consent to Medical Treatment ▪ The right to accept or reject medical interventions For consent to be valid: ▪ It must be voluntary ▪ The patient must be legally competent to consent – must be a “mature minor” (SK ~ 16) and mentally stable ▪ The patient must be properly informed – health care provider must tell you about the nature and consequences of the treatment before you consent to it “Medical Interventions” requiring informed consent include: ▪ Physical examinations ▪ Taking blood ▪ Injecting vaccines or other drugs ▪ Exposing the patient to radiation as a part of a diagnosis ▪ Effects of medications including interactions with other drugs ▪ If you are incapable of consenting to treatment (i.e. you are a minor, unconscious or admitted for psychiatric treatment), then the doctor has the right to do whatever is necessary to save your life or to prevent lasting physical/mental harm unless you have an Advance Care Directive Patients Responsibilities In order to ensure the best possible result of medical treatments, patients have responsibilities that must be fulfilled. These are: 1. Providing accurate and complete information about medical complaints, pasts illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, pain and other matters relating to their health 2. Following the treatment plan recommended by those responsible for their care 3. Accepting consequences if they refuse treatment or do not follow the healthcare team’s instructions 4. Following rules and regulations set out by Health Canada and Saskatchewan Health Ethical Decision Making ▪ When faced with a health issue and the vast and sometimes competing treatment options, what considerations does the practitioner have to take into consideration? ▪ There are four factors the practitioner must always consider. 1. Autonomy ▪ The patient’s right to make their own decisions Physicians should: ▪ Help the patient come to their own decision by providing full information ▪ Uphold a competent, adult patient’s decision, even if it appears medically wrong Implications for the practitioner: ▪ Consult the patient and make them fully aware of any potential risks/dangers of a treatment ▪ Obtain informed consent from a patient ▪ Maintain medical confidentiality 2. Beneficence and Non-Maleficence Beneficence – Provide no harm Non-Maleficence – Do no harm ▪ A bit hippocritical ▪ The moral obligation of a practitioner is to do as much medical benefit to patients as possible with minimal harm Implications for the Practitioner ▪ Ensure they can provide the benefits they profess by ongoing professional training before and throughout their career ▪ Ensure treatment provides a net benefit – non- maleficence reminds practitioners to consider the possibility of doing har, especially when they cannot cure Example: ▪ Mastectomy – May benefit a 29 year old patient with breast cancer, but harm to a 75 year old patient with the same condition Justice (Fairness) Can be split into 3 categories: a) Distributive Justice – distribution of scare resources b) Rights-based Justice - respect for peoples rights c) Legal Justice – respect for morally acceptable laws Implications for the Practitioner: ▪ Must avoid making decisions that have no moral basis or justification. ▪ It is not the role of a practitioner to punish patients Example: ▪ Withholding antibiotics from a heavy smoker who refuses to give up smoking Practitioners must not waste resources – practitioners must consider costs of various treatments that will have the same result Example: ▪ Using generic meds Practitioners must respect a patients human rights Example: ▪ Disapproval of a patients lifestyle would not be a morally acceptable justification for refusing to provide treatment Practitioners must obey laws set out by Health Canada Example: ▪ If a patient has one of several infectious diseases, the practitioner is legally obliged to notify the relevant authorities even though they don’t want to break a patients confidence Case Study – Resolving Ethical Dillemmas In groups/partners discuss the following case study: Mr. Jones, a successful tax accountant, has been diagnosed with an invasive melanoma (skin cancer. His dermatologist wishes to excise the cancer as soon as possible. Despite being informed of the risks, Mr. Jones insists on delaying the surgery by four months so he can continue to work during his busiest time of year. 1. What category of patient’s rights does this scenario fall into? Why? 2. Question #2 – What should the dermatologists next course of action be based on Mr. Jones Response? Case Study Answer Question #1 - What category of patient’s rights does this scenario fall into? Why? Answer Right of Refusal ▪ Even when faced with a serious operable cancer and the strong likelihood of a good surgical outcome, a mentally capable patient may instead choose a less effective treatment than what is recommended, despite a thorough discussion of the risks and benefits of surgery. Question #2 – What should the dermatologists next course of action be based on Mr. Jones Response? Answer Autonomy (Full Disclosure) Mr. Jones should be told about the consequences of leaving the condition untreated, although there should be no coercion (i.e. unduly frightening patients who refuse treatment Beneficence and Non-Maleficence ▪ If the patient persists in wanting to delay the surgery, the dermatologist should do whatever is possible to help the patient and offer an interim treatment if possible ▪ The practitioner may advise the patient to consult with a colleague for a second opinion or to discuss with his family about the decision to delay surgery Justice Respect Mr. Jones decision – Rights based justice