HIV Disclosure and HCP with a Border: An Ethical Issue

Mishal Liaqat,Muhammad Adnan Yaqoob,Sidra Nadeem

doi:10.35248/2155-9627.19.10.343

Abstract

The health care providers are always obligated to code of ethics for honoring professionalism and sustaining high standards in their practice. Veracity and confidentiality are strictly obligatory for health care professionals in virtue and medical ethics. Veracity is not only the part of virtue ethics but also it is our professional and moral obligation to always remain truthful in practice and as well as in our daily life. But, it becomes very difficult for health care providers to maintain confidentiality, giving respect to patient autonomy, and speaking truth in the case where patients one diagnosed with stigmatized disorders such as AIDS, where we have to save the society by applying the concept of utilitarianism. This paper analyzes such complex conditions in which there is an ethical dilemma occurred between patientâs autonomy to maintain his confidentiality of positive HIV and tell a lie to patientâs wife. This situation put many questions in the HCPâs mind. Such as: is it right to respect patientâs autonomy which can put patientâs surrounding at risk? Is it moral obligation of the HCP to tell a lie? Or is it best solution if the HCP maintain patientâs confidentiality?

Highlights

A 40 years old male patient was landed in emergency department with complaints of loss of appetite, sudden weight loss, decreased activity, lethargy, and mouth ulcers
In the above case why patient did not want to disclose his positive report of HIV? Why he did not give preference about treatment plan of it? The major problem with patient was that on disclosing he will be isolated from his society and may be stigmatized and attacked by negative behaviors of family and society
It is concluded that the principle to secure his wife and society was most important than giving respect and preference to the right to maintain confidentiality of patient about the disease

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Exception of the right of confidentiality it is the moral obligation of the health care organization to report communicable and infectious diseases to public and local health authorities because HIV is harmful for patient and for his family and community [8]. A person is bounded with his society and its decision affects its society as well [9] We all know that confidentiality is the act of maintaing patient’s privacy, but, in the case of HIV, the virtue ethics stress us to do not give respect to the client’s right and only do right action without considering the consequences [11]. For the beneficence of his the communicable disease control Program has suggested that the spouse of the HIV positive patient should always informed by HCPs for saving herself from getting infection [7]. Situation alongside thorough examination and needs to be carefully scrutinizing [9]

CLIENT PERSPECTIVE

POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES

CONCLUSION