Ethics

Running head : ETHICS

Ethics

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Abstract

The codes of healthcare ethics traditionally include detailed s and analyses of healthcare specialties ' goals , ethical principles of healthcare performance , grievance procedures and the criteria of enforcing the ethical provisions into practice . The ICA Code of Ethics is an example of the way ethical principles are implemented in healthcare performance

Ethics

Introduction

Effective healthcare depends upon an atmosphere of confidence and trust in which the patient is willing to make a frank and

complete disclosure of facts (Vaux , 2000 . The success of any medical therapy depends on the extent to which the patient is willing to reveal important facts to medical specialists . This is why ethical principles in chiropractic medicine acquire additional meaning . The International Chiropractors Association has developed a separate code of ethics to regulate its ethical performance , and to support the development of ethical approaches in this healthcare specialty

The ICA Code of Ethics does not have a separate section devoted to the goals of ICA ethical performance , but these goals are implied throughout the Code . The Code includes the statement of the basic ethical principles , which chiropractors should follow in their medical performance : consider the well-being of the patient , honor your profession , respect your patients ' rights of confidentiality , recognize chiropractor 's limitations and let professional responsibility and high standards of competence be guiding tenets (ICA , 1995 . One of the weaknesses of the ICA Code of Ethics is in that it does not clearly state its goals , and masks them under numerous ethical principles . As a result , a patient or a medical professional who needs to consult the Code for useful ethical information , has to guess ' what goals the ICA are , and what they mean in reality

Although the goals of the discussed code are vague and dubious , the medical specialists have created a well-developed set of ethical principles , which chiropractors should follow . These principles are described in more or less detailed manner , and provide a brief explanation of what each principle means for chiropractic professionals The Code is very clear in its definition of confidentiality : The doctor of chiropractic is obliged to keep the trust and confidence of the patient and the patient 's family (ICA , 1995 . Within the Code , the concept of confidentiality is subdivided into several notions which create a full picture of what this principle is . In general , the majority of medical specialties take confidentiality as the core ethical principle . While the importance of confidentiality as an ethical principle is evident , it is also clear that confidentiality is not an absolute value (Breen Cordner , 1997 . It is also the case with the ICA Code of Ethics , which suggests that the confidential medical information should not be released to unauthorized parties (ICA 1995 . The list of authorized individuals is not included into the code and again the reader faces a difficulty of interpreting the ethical provisions of the International Chiropractors Association . The Code provides detailed ethical information on releasing medical records to external...