Competency: Legal and Ethical Issues in Healthcare

Competency: Legal and Ethical Issues in Healthcare

A Patient-Provider Interaction Regarding the Legal and Ethical Issues Involved

Case of Mr. Jack

Mrs. Jack was 74 years old female. Her family admitted her to the rehabilitation centre for secondary treatment to the replacement of the hip. Eliza was a physical therapist appointed for Mrs. Jack. One Monday morning, Eliza wheeled Mrs. Jack back to her bed and documented the entire therapy given. The day after, Eliza received message from her director. He informed Eliza that Mrs. Jack tried to get up from her bed to close the window, striking her head on the floor. On asking why she attempted to get up on her own, she replied that Eliza did not place call light near to her. Moreover, she told that there was no one in the region near to her. Her family admitted her to acute hospital. Mrs. Jack got brain hemorrhage and died.

On the same day, Eliza`s director called the meeting with Eliza and George. They reviewed the documentation of Eliza and inquired her if she had placed the call light. Eliza could not assure the placement. She told that she might forget as she had many cases on Monday. She told that she also had some family issues. Nevertheless, she said that she had always kept the call light near to patients in past. George was afraid of lawsuits from family of Mrs. Jack. Therefore, he ordered Eliza to rewrite the notes for that day to show that there was no any responsibility of the care service allied to death of Mrs. Jack. George pressurized Eliza to change her notes and warned her to terminate if she did not make revisions. Eventually, family of Mrs. Jack filed a suit to the service provider for negligence. ...