Ethical and Legal Issues for Physician Assistant

Ethical and Legal Issues for Physician Assistant

Introduction

Health care profession is one of the most sensitive professions of the world. The professionals in this filed are faced with numerous challenges to provide personal care and assistance. They are also subjected to numerous legal bindings which not only prevent them from offering assistance in some issues, like abortion, but also make them to be scrutinized incase of any complication or fatality. The study of ethics enables medical practitioner to analyze the complex situation, make good and right decisions. It is sometimes not possible to make the right decision and the ethical training aids in the making of a better decision. The concepts of universal beliefs and values are explained to the professionals as well as the local and constitutional laws so that the practitioner is able to make good decisions (Kalam, 2008). They are certain areas where the law has not provided any guideline and the through study of the universal norms and the desire to help the humanity, the practitioner can make the right choice of alternatives. The physician assistants have to keep them updated on the ethical, legal and societal issues surrounding the health care industry. The ethical guidelines seldom change but the societal environment has been changing. The ethical and legal environment has been under pressure due to the economic worries and expense reviews of the health care systems. The state and the church have been putting up social pressure on the health professionals. The technology has been developing by a rapid rate and has made new challenges for the professionals. We will be exploring the legal and ethical issues which physician's assistants face in their professional life.

Discussion

The physician assistant, patient and the physician construct the flow of the practice of the physician assistant. In order to facilitate medical care, the relationship between patient and physician assistant is established on the bases of agreement and mutual respect. The physician supervises the work of physician assistant practice and the medical treatment and care provided by the physician is extended by the physician assistant.

The primary importance of the profession of physician assistant is to value the dignity, welfare, safety, and health of entire humanity. This notion is the forms the basis of the physician assistant and patient affiliation. An ethical obligation is bestowed upon the Physician assistants to ensure that every patient gets appropriate care. Physician assistants must accept the uniqueness of each patient and should recognize their ethical preference to self-determination. Physician assistants must be responsive to the patient's expectations and beliefs, but are not anticipated to neglect their own training in the medical profession, ethical and legal issues etc.

Physician assistant has a moral responsibility to provide every patient the complete collection of details on pertinent alternatives regarding their health care. If for any personal preference towards the ethical issues, legal issues or religious beliefs, the physician assistant is unable to provide the care to the patient, it is compulsory for the physician ...