Topic 3 DQ 1

The Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) states that all patients have a right to choose which type of medication process to go through. They can choose whether to undergo a surgical process or not. This act protects the patients from unfair treatment from some cruel health workers (Lindberg, 2018). It also ensures that patients feel safe and are responsible for the outcomes of the medical process they chose. An advance directive can be defined as written document such as a will or any uttered statement made by patient regarding how he would to be treated in case he loses conscience. A patient might also select a person such as a relative who is very close to him who is responsible for making decisions regarding the patient’s treatment in case that patient become unconscious and cannot make informed decisions.

An ethics committee is mandated with the responsibility of ensuring that patients’ advance directives are followed to the latter during the entire treatment process. This committee should compose of expertise that has full knowledge on patients’ rights. The members of the committee should have a record of the advance directives made by patients so that it becomes easy for them to make a follow up. The main role of an ethics committee is to advice the patients, family members as well as the health workers on how to handle patients’ religious, social and cultural practices in a right manner that it does not break the ethical code of conduct.

The committee also advices the health care professionals on how to handle a complex ethical issue when it arises so that the patient will not feel degraded in the way he is handled by the health care workers. The committee finally helps the patients and health care professionals to identify patients’ problems and their causes and probably come up with the best medical solutions to handle those problems while respecting the patients’ dignity and right to self-determination (ML, 2017). Once they identify the solution, they suggest them to the patients as well as advising them accordingly. In summary, every hospital should have a professional ethics committee who will be responsible for ensuring patients’ rights to self-determination and advance directives are respected for the sake of patient’s safety and quality patient outcome.

The Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) was implemented to allow patients to state “Do Not Resuscitate” (DNS), or to assign a surrogate decision maker in the event that the individual is unable to make the decision. What relationship does an ethics committee have in enforcing the advance directives of the patients in their care? Support your analysis with a minimum of one peer-reviewed article.

Using 200-300 words APA format. Sources must be published within the last 5 years. There should be a mix between research and your reflections. Add critical thinking in the posts along with research. Apply the material in a substantial way.