Ethical Decision Making

-Process that requires striking a balance between science and morality

-Making informed choices about ethical dilemmas based on a set of standards differentiating 

right from wrong.

Ethical Decision-Making Process

1. Identify the ethical dilemma

2. Discover alternative actions

3. Decide who might be affected

4. List the probable effects of the alternatives

5. Select the best alternative

Rational justification

developed through a logical process of decision making that gives proper attention to such things 

as facts, alternative perspectives, consequences to all stakeholders, and ethical principles.

American Nurses Association- Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements.

provides specific guidance for ethical decision making and provides a valuable framework that 

can be used when working with HIT

Issues having an ethical component includes the following

1. Failure to adopt technology or use it adeptly

2. Lack of regard for data integrity such as discrepancies. in record information that are noted but 

no corrective action is taken.

3. Failure to address threats to privacy and personal health information.

4. Inappropriate access of PHI without a need to know.

5. Failure to keep informed of emerging developments and issues.

6. Failure to recognize and use technology to advance the profession.

7. Failure to engage in policy discussion that impact healthcare delivery.

8. Failure to recall that the patient is their primary focus.

9. Failure to actively participate in the selection use, and/or evaluation of technology that has the 

potential to improve healthcare.

ANAs Code of Ethics for Nurses

1. Respect for human dignity

2. Respect for individual right to self-determinism

3. Primary commitment is to the patient (individual, family, group or community)

4. Advocacy for the patient

5. Participation in the creation, maintenance, and improvement of healthcare environments

6. Advancing the Profession

7. Collaboration with others to meet health needs

8. Shaping social policy.

6 contemporary Bioethical Standards

Autonomy

freedom

veracity

privacy

beneficence

fidelity

What is the Husted bioethical decision-making model centered on

healthcare professionals’ implicit agreement with the patient

Virtue Ethics Approach

moral behavior stems from personal virtues

Example of virtue ethics approach

If a manager develops good character traits and learns to overcome negative traits, he or she will 

make ethical decisions based on personal virtue

Telehealth

use of technology to deliver health care, health information, or health education (i.e. telephone, 

videophone, computer, store and forward imaging, streaming media, terrestrial and wireless 

communications)

telemedicine

medical information exchange from one site to another via electronic communications to 

improve patients health status

Telehealth tools

Central stations, web servers, and portals

Peripheral biometric(medical) devices

telephones

video cameras

personal emergency response systems

sensor and activity monitoring

medication management devices

special needs telecommunications ready devices(preprogrammed infusion pumps, peak flow 

meters)

Telemedicine applications types (2)

Store-and-forward or asynchronous

real-time or synchronous

Store and forward or asynchronous applications

exchange prerecorded data between 2 or more individuals at different times

real time or synchronous applications

all involved individuals are present for immediate exchange of information