Physical Therapist Ethical Dilemma Essay - 1431 Words

Introduction For over 75 years the profession of physical therapy has required its members to adhere to a standard of ethical behavior.1 The first Code of Ethics adopted by the American Physiotherapy Association in 1935 focused mainly on the relationship between the physical therapist (PT), referring physician, and the disciplinary actions of violating that relationship.2(p.4) Since then the Code of Ethics has evolved into what the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) refers to as the Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapist (PT Code), and the Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA Standards).2(p.5),3,4 Today the Code and Standards are designed around the associations core set of values to†¦show more content†¦The facility has an unwritten policy that all new referrals are evaluated the same day they are referred. Higher functioning patients who qualify for transfer to an inpatient rehab in three days dont receive intervention dur ing their stay. Mary evaluates Mr. Smith, determines that he does not meet the requirements for priority treatment, and that delaying further treatment for less than three days will not have a negative impact on his well being. She documents the evaluation and recommends him for discharge without further physical therapy services. Later that day Mr. Smith confronts Mary about not receiving therapy, expresses his discontent, and questions the integrity of her and the facility.8 The ethical dilemma is uncovered when Mary realizes that her decision to follow the facilitys procedure has had a negative impact on Mr. Smiths well being. The obvious bad here is that he wont be provided access to the physical therapy services that he believes will benefit him. The less obvious is that Mr. Smith has been denied his autonomy- the right to follow his own plan,7(p.147) and the ethical principle of beneficence- the moral requirement to do what is best for the individual patient,5(p.68) ha s been ignored. The good thatShow MoreRelatedEthical Implications Of Unethical Behavior1380 Words   |  6 Pagesemployees unfairly based upon gender, or a teacher helping their students cheat in an effort to pass an exam. Despite the vast majority of society knowing actions such as these are wrong they continue to surprise us and occur at a high frequency. Ethical dilemmas have been and will continue to be a source of much debate. In this particular scenario, at first glance there appears to be numerous examples of unethical behavior by the â€Å"Corporation†. 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