Ethics

Booklet 1
Core Ethical Values & Standards for Good Practice
1. Respect - recognise and act in such a manner that acknowledges and respects the value of each patient
2. Non-maleficence - do no harm
3. Beneficence - act in the best interest of patients
4. Human rights - recognise and abide by all human rights of patients
5. Autonomy - honour the rights of the patient to make their own informed choices
6. Integrity - act in a professional and ethical manner with these core values
7. Truthfulness (use truthfulness to build trust)
8. Confidentiality (POPIA)
9. Compassion (sensitivity & empathy; providing comfort and support)
10. Tolerance (Respect for those different from the therapist)
11. Justice (Fair and unbiased treatment)
12. Professional competence and self-improvement
13. Community (Betterment of society)
How to Resolve Ethical Dilemmas
*Demands of core values can clash - this is rectified through ethical reasoning*
Ethical Reasoning occurs in 4 steps:
1. Formulate the problem
2. Gather information (all that is relevant to make an ethical decision - consult MDT,
HPCSA guidelines, authority figures)
3. Consider options
4. Make a moral assessment
What it means to have a duty:
A duty is an obligation to do or refrain from doing something.
What do I owe others? - a question to ask oneself to determine your duty
Types of duties:
● As human beings we have “natural duties” - do no harm, promote good, be fair and just
● As professionals we have “moral obligations” (acquired when one becomes a licenced and
qualified professional) - gain informed consent, respect confidentiality
● Institutional duties - differs according to institution and duties can be found in job description,
employment contracts etc
● Legal duties - duties imposed by law
No duty is absolute
Duties to patients
Duty to:

1. Prioritise the best interests and well-being of the patient

a) Adequately educated and trained
b) Sufficient experience
c) In proper conditions and appropriate surroundings

2. Respect the patient; includes dignity, confidentiality, privacy, opinions of the patient as well as protecting the rights of the
patient

3. Gain informed consent

4. Ensure patient confidentiality

5. Allow for patient participation in their own healthcare - patients should be fully involved in decision making, respect the
decisions of patients to refuse treatment and inform them of their right to seek a second opinion

6. Impartiality and justice - UNFAIR DISCRIMINATION

7. Promote access to care

Potential conflicts of interest
● Investigation and treatment should be based on clinical need
● Avoid over-servicing - only recommend treatment and medication that is necessary
● Declare to your patients any financial interests in institutions, diagnostic equipment
or referrals
● Refrain from coercing patients or their family members into giving gifts or undue
benefits
Duties to colleagues and other other health care
practitioners
- Act in patients’ best interest (in terms of referrals, providing and arranging treatment) without any bias
for referral (no incentive to refer to a specific colleague rather than best care option).
- Treat patients referred to them like they treat their own patients
- If registered to more than one council or professional board, HCP may not service a patient in more
than one capacity or charge them for more than one consultation
- Respect other HCPs they are working with
- Pursue best possible health care for all patients
- No discrimination against colleagues
- Refrain from speaking ill of colleagues
- No making non-justified comments about colleagues in front of patients which may make them doubt
the colleague’s knowledge or skills
- Support colleagues who uphold the core values of these guidelines
- Advise impaired colleagues to seek professional assistance
Duties to patients of other health care
practitioners
- Protect patients from risk (due to any reason) by acting quickly

- If there is reason to believe that a patient’s rights are being violated, the appropriate
individuals must be reported

- Report impaired colleagues who could be a danger to the health of patients (so they can
receive the necessary support to overcome impairment and prevent harm to patients)
Duties to Themselves
Two duties:
1. Knowledge and skills
2. Maintaining a Professional Practice

1. - maintain the standard of their performance by keeping knowledge and skills in their profession up to
date
- regularly engage in learning opportunities which promote learning and improve their service delivery
- acknowledge and understand the limit of the OT profession - acknowledge when one does not know
something
- keep up to date with the laws in place that affect professional healthcare practice
- this can be done by taking courses to earn CPD (Continuing Professional Development) points
2. - Keep equipment in good condition
- Maintain adequate hygiene practices within the work environment
- keep accurate and up-to-date patient records
- refrain from risky activities which could affect one’s health or lead to impairment
- ensure that staff members employed by the therapist are trained to conduct themselves ethically
with patients
Duties to Society
- Deal responsibility with scarce resources
- To not provide services that are not needed
- Refrain from unnecessary financial wastage (this can be avoided through having proper financial arrangements)
- Include ethical considerations, legal requirements and human rights when developing health care policies

Duties to the Healthcare Profession

- Reporting misconduct
1. Report - when they have good enough reason to believe that the rights of patients are violated and/or where
conduct of the professional is unethical.
2. Protect people who report misconduct from victimisation or intimidation (where it is in their power)
- Access to appropriate health care
Promote access to health care. If unable to provide health service, refer the patient to another health care
practitioner/facility.
Duties to the Environment
- Conservation of natural resources

Responsibility to not in any way contribute to environmental degradation.

- Disposal of health care waste:

Responsibility to protect the environment and public by ensuring that health care waste is
disposed off legally and in an environmental friendly manner