ethics?

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What are ethical implications related to hospital-acquired conditions including costs?

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

Homework question, perhaps?:rolleyes:

Why don't you show us what you have come up with thus far.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Will move to nursing student assistance forum.

While we enjoy helping students, we do appreciate seeing what you have come up with first.

Thanks.

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Ethical implications to the patient... I see none other than time, pain, more treatment and procedures. What patient want to go through that?

But as far as cost? I don't see how cost would affect a patient because if it is a hospital acquired infection; doesn't the hospital have to eat that cost? Nothing comes out of the patient pocket... acoording to what I read regarding Mediare coverage.

How far am I off?

Can you suggest reading material?

Thanks!!

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As far as cost... I don't understand how ethics plays a role.

From what I read doesn't Medicare say the hospital has to eat the cost of hospital-acquired infections?

I must admit I don't fully understand certain aspects of this question to my homework.

I understand ethics when it comes to a person, values, and morals and all.

BUT... how does eithical implications play a role as far as cost?

That's the basic question. I have finished all areas of my paper but this I don't get!!!!!

If you can suggest some good reading material... I am not opposed to finding the information out myself. Just when I don't know where to look that's a problem... how do you finish an assignment with no direction?

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I'm struggling someone please help!!

i have done an internet search and have come up with nothing.

Tell me where to read this please.....

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I entered ethics and hospital-acquired infections into Google and the first page of results popped up with a couple of sources that brought up several great points. Here are some of those points to think about. We can use MRSA, a vexing and very common infectious issue, as an example.

Even when a hospital pays for a patient's entire admission subsequent to an HAI, what happens upon discharge? Is the patient cured, reliably decolonized, and free of further future complications and financial obligations? Or do the problems sometimes linger and lead to further sequelae for years and years?

What are the sources of these infections? Even if we know that MRSA-colonized nurses and poor central line care lead to MRSA, do all patients exposed to these factors end up developing MRSA? Or does it also depend on very patient-specific factors such as nutrition and medical history?

If wrongs committed by hospitals don't constitute 100% of the causative factors, is it ethical to require hospitals to pay for 100% of a patient's care after the diagnosis of an HAI? Who might ultimately pay for the costs that get kicked back to hospitals for patients with HAI?

When you identify that an MRSA-colonized nurse could be spreading that to patients, how do you respond? Is there a way to treat or reliably decolonize the nurse? While you try to decolonize her, does she have to stay home and use sick time? What if she remains colonized after that? Should she not work in patient care anymore? Do you see ethical issues in trying to balance the rights of the patients and the livelihood of the nurse?

Tons and tons of directions to go with this question when you really sit down and think about all of the players here.

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Thanks Eric, I really appreciate you taking the time to help me.

This information was really helpful.

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Hi, I was wondering the same. I wrote a paper explaining the ethical implications of hospital acquires infections. I said that the facility needs to take full financial responsibility for the patient acquiring the infection during her hospital stay. I went on to apologize for the extended time and treatment in the hospital/rehab facility and that a quality improvement team would audit the case in order to prevent further infections in other patients. I failed this paper. WHY???

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Just a FYI.....This thread is over 2 years old......why did your instructor/professor say you failed.

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I just read an article on the Michigan project and their efforts to reduce CVC-BSIs... It was called Explaining Michigan: Developing Ex Post Theory of Quality Improvement Program...

It might be helpful (it might not)

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