Since 2015, there have been a number of efforts by state legislatures to dictate speech in the clinical setting between patients and their providers, specifically related to abortion and firearm safety. These cases have been extensively reported in the news. Depending on one’s point of view, some providers have misinformed patients regarding the dangers of Covid and/or the efficacy of Covid vaccines. These cases potentially interfere directly with the medical ethics directive of nonmaleficence (do no harm). Government directives also have the potential to interfere with clinician free speech, and in some of the state cases regarding firearm safety, the legislation has been struck down by state supreme courts for this reason.
For this assignment, select a healthcare-related topic of your choice that impacts effective communication between clinician and patient (include peer-reviewed research/journal articles), then in your paper (5-8 pages, APA format, typed and double-spaced), provide an analysis that addresses the following questions:
a) How does health policy impact the quality of patient care and the autonomy of the clinician-patient relationship? (Provide an example from your practice or research).
b) Despite that a large percentage of healthcare funding emanates from government, should government policy intervene between a patient and their healthcare provider? If so, when is intervention appropriate? Give an example and explain your perspective.
c) Should government determine and regulate what can and cannot take place regarding speech/information dissemination during the patient-clinician interaction? Explain.
d) When might a healthcare provider’s statements/information be harmful? Give an example.
e) How is the ethical perspective different from the personal perspective? What is the underlying foundation of “ethics”? Is there a single “truth” in ethics? Explain.
