King Faisal University

College of Applied Medical Sciences

Respiratory Care department
MSRT 412: Professional Ethics in Respiratory Care

The Ethical
Decision Making
Process
Ghazi Alotaibi, PhD, RRT
2/10/2006
 Objectives
 Know why some HCPs defer ethical
decisions to others?
 Know methods of preparing HCPs to take
sound ethical decisions?
 Understand the three requirements for
good decisions makers?
 Recognize who makes an ethical decision
and when?
 Understand why HCPs concern with taking
ethical decisions?
 Objectives
6. Understand purpose, components, and
type of decisions made by and Ethics
Committee.
7. Know the difference between Procedure
and Process as they related to Ethical
decision making.
8. Undersntand the nature of individual
decision maikng process?
Are you prepared to make
!? Ethical Decision
 Ethical decision making process is
seen as an Abstract process.
 Most HCPs are not prepared to
involve in the process, this leads
to . . . . .
 Distress when faced with ethical
decision
 Defer the decision to others.
 How do we prepare RCP to
?take wise Ethical Decisions

 Education in health care

Ethics.
 Make them realize that they
are obligated to contribute in
the ethical decision making
process.
 The Three Requirements
for good Decision Makers

1. Understand other options

and alternatives.
2. Know benefits and
consequences of each
alternative.
3. Freely choose the best
alternative.
 Then What . . . . ??

 Use the followings:

 Your Life Experiences (personal &
professional)
 Your believe and values,

 What you believe as right or wrong,

 What you believe as socially

appropriate,
 Your medical knowledge,
 Who Makes Ethical
Decisions, and When?
 WHO?
 Any person involves in health care.

 WHEN?
 Any time you make a decision that
affects patient’s welfare or well-
being.
 MY Ethical Choice, is it
personal or universal ??!!

2 Important Considerations:
 Do not force your ethical
choices on others.
 You must be ready to
quickly make ethical
decisions.
 ???? !!
 Why should RCPs concern with
ethical dilemmas when the
physician will make the final
decision??

 May be within YOUR scope of practice

 Sometimes you need to make an
ethical decision for YOURSELF !
 Ethics Committee
 Sometimes called Institutional
Review Board (IRB).
 Involves in reviewing cases upon
request when medical team faces a
difficult ethical dilemma.
 Other functions of Ethics Committee
(see p 45).
 What type of decision they provide?


 Members of Ethics
Committee
 Physician
 Nursing
 Allied Health Professional
 Administration
 Risk management
 Medical social worker
 Medical ethicist
 Non-health care professional
(activist)
 Procedure or Process?

 Procedures:
 List
of prescriptive statements
focusing on what should and should
not be done.
 Process:
 Focus on rationale and reasoning not
only the final decision.
 So, cotemporary Decision-
Making focuses on which one?
 Patient Involvement

Should patient be involved

in the process??
 Definitely whenever it is possible.

 Principle of Autonomy and self

determination.
 Individual Decision-Making
Process
 Every one has the right to have his/her
own individual decision on ethical
issue.
 Individual decision about YOURSELF
not somebody else.
 Remember: do not force your views
on others.
 Even with individual, the process
should be sound and valid (reasoning
 Reference
 Legal Issues and Ethical Dilemmas in
Respiratory Care. By Charles Carroll.
(Chapter 4) p41-48.