With Iowa hospitals spending millions on advertising campaigns to appeal to prospective patients, and the local healthcare industry steadily expanding in size along with the state’s growing population, many analysts and journalists have begun discussing bioethical concerns related to the use of information technology by healthcare providers. Patient privacy has always been a pertinent topic in healthcare, but as facilities continue to upgrade and improve their abilities to catalog and share sensitive data, and as advertising materials grow more advanced, we are seeing the rise of new technological issues that present unprecedented risks and significant ethical questions.
What Kind of Issues Will Need to Be Addressed During the Next Decade?
Bioethics is a field of study that focuses on the controversy stemming from ethical concerns raised by advancements in medicine and biology, specifically in relation to technology. Some of the most popular concerns of biotechnology are gene manipulation and genetic diagnosis, both of which spark questions about patient rights in relation to the use of their own DNA, particularly in an unborn child or infant who cannot yet provide consent on their own. Editing a person’s genes before they have a chance to say anything about it, doesn’t seem right to many critics, but even the most skeptical, patient-oriented mindset must admit that eliminating genes for diseases like Cystic Fibrosis could provide a sustained cure for genetic diseases that cause a substantial amount of pain and suffering.
How Will Iowa Hospitals Ethically Handle Bioethical Issues Related to Advertising?
Due to the high volume of cases dealt with, hospitals carry the highest level of responsibility regarding the protection of patient privacy and rights. The amount of money and effort spent on hospital advertising was recently mentioned by the Register, revealing that the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is devoting $3.7 million of its operating budget to promote its newly erected Stead Family Children’s Hospital. Although there’s certainly nothing wrong with advertising alone, many have posed the question whether these ads really help people make fully informed decisions. Some think ads like these are encouraging patients to change providers and seek unnecessary treatments in some cases. It will be interesting to see if and how Iowa hospitals respond to such criticism in the near future.
Developing the Healthcare Morals of the 21st Century
As the public now has easy access to information about the latest advancements and experimental treatment options, it has become even more imperative for organizations to practice forthcoming honesty and extensive patient education. The internet allows for the highest degree of transparency, as anyone can do their own research to discover opposing angles for any topic imaginable. As such, hospital boards and other decision-makers in medicine and healthcare are now more accountable than ever. Hopefully, such accountability will inspire ethical advancements as we approach the climax of the 21st century’s first quarter.
The Future Doesn’t Have to Be Scary
All of the robotic devices, fancy imaging techniques, advancements in genetics, and other recent innovations can be intimidating to think about when you consider the possibility of these technologies changing the way we view morals in healthcare. However, the transition doesn’t have to be so rapid or pronounced that it makes society feel uncomfortable. We can expect to see the study of bioethics play a key role in advising healthcare facilities on how to proceed with new techniques without offending patients and the public.
