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The aim of this book is to show the importance of ethics in health and social care. The emphasis in both arenas of care is significant as, up to now, ethical issues have tended to focus on either health or social care separately. This introductory chapter begins by briefly setting out definitions of ethics, followed by a policy overview to illustrate the increasing impact of ethics overall that has led to ever more media coverage. Summaries of the chosen topic areas are then set out, in which three key arenas have been assembled for discussion. The main themes selected are ethics – research and provision in health and social care together with service users’ perspectives; followed by law, management, and ethics in health and social care; with the final section on ethics – from the start of life to the end.
This concluding chapter offers a summary of interrelated themes and ethical challenges that have emerged across the previous chapters. A review of the content identifies five broad, emergent themes, the first of which explores ethical decision making utilising principles, models, professional codes, and dialogue ethics in collaborative working across organisational boundaries and systems. A second theme, user–professional relationships and roles in the context of decision making, is focused on therapeutic relationships and virtuous practice; best interests; refusing treatment, and end-of-life decisions; equity; resources; and provider, professional, and user relationships. A third theme, vulnerable people, summarises the challenges that can arise in charging vulnerable older adults for their care, vulnerability to loss of personhood, protecting the claims and entitlements of future people, child protection, and protecting rights and welfare in research participation. The theme of service users summarises the case for ethical involvement of users in health and social care, and explores the benefits of services working together in relation to user involvement and outcomes. A final theme of governance and accountability links new forms of collaborative governance and their ethical justification, summarising current conflicts and challenges for governance frameworks in general, and, more specifically, in relation to research.
While ethics has been addressed in the health care literature, relatively little attention has been paid to the subject in the field of social care. This book redresses the balance by examining theory, research, policy, and practice in both fields. The analysis is set within the context of contemporary challenges facing health and social care, not only in Britain but internationally. Contributors from the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia consider ethical issues in health and social care research and governance; inter-professional and user perspectives; ethics in relation to human rights, the law, finance, management, and provision; key issues of relevance to vulnerable groups such as children and young people; those with complex disabilities, older people, and those with mental health problems; and lifecourse issues – ethical perspectives on a range of challenging areas from new technologies of reproduction to euthanasia.
While ethics has been addressed in the health care literature, relatively little attention has been paid to the subject in the field of social care. This book redresses the balance by examining theory, research, policy, and practice in both fields. The analysis is set within the context of contemporary challenges facing health and social care, not only in Britain but internationally. Contributors from the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia consider ethical issues in health and social care research and governance; inter-professional and user perspectives; ethics in relation to human rights, the law, finance, management, and provision; key issues of relevance to vulnerable groups such as children and young people; those with complex disabilities, older people, and those with mental health problems; and lifecourse issues – ethical perspectives on a range of challenging areas from new technologies of reproduction to euthanasia.
While ethics has been addressed in the health care literature, relatively little attention has been paid to the subject in the field of social care. This book redresses the balance by examining theory, research, policy, and practice in both fields. The analysis is set within the context of contemporary challenges facing health and social care, not only in Britain but internationally. Contributors from the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia consider ethical issues in health and social care research and governance; inter-professional and user perspectives; ethics in relation to human rights, the law, finance, management, and provision; key issues of relevance to vulnerable groups such as children and young people; those with complex disabilities, older people, and those with mental health problems; and lifecourse issues – ethical perspectives on a range of challenging areas from new technologies of reproduction to euthanasia.
This chapter reviews events that have led to the development of codes of conduct and guidance, together with requirements to conduct ethical reviews of research involving human subjects. An overarching aim of ethical review is to protect the rights, health, and well-being of research participants, utilising an approach that is sensitive to diversity, cultural values, and the social and cultural context in which research is conducted. Ethical principles of respect for autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice are examined and applied to the research context as a basis for decision making. Characteristics of vulnerable groups and special considerations that can apply to their participation in research are considered. Recent developments in the arena of research governance frameworks, intended to provide accountability for the moral acceptability, scientific quality, and safety of research, are also briefly reviewed.
While ethics has been addressed in the health care literature, relatively little attention has been paid to the subject in the field of social care. This book redresses the balance by examining theory, research, policy and practice in both fields.
The analysis is set within the context of contemporary challenges facing health and social care, not only in Britain but internationally. Contributors from the UK, US and Australia consider ethical issues in health and social care research and governance; interprofessional and user perspectives; ethics in relation to human rights, the law, finance, management and provision; key issues of relevance to vulnerable groups such as children and young people, those with complex disabilities, older people and those with mental health problems and lifecourse issues - ethical perspectives on a range of challenging areas from new technologies of reproduction to euthanasia.
This book is intended for academics, students and researchers in health and social care who need an up-to-date analysis of contemporary issues and debates. It will also be useful to practitioners in the public, private and voluntary sectors, including social workers, community workers, those working in the fields of disability and mental health and with older people.
