Ethical issues with geographical variations in the provision of health care services
Abstract Geographical variations are documented for a wide range of health care services. As many such variations cannot be explained by demographical or epidemiological differences, they are problematic with respect to distributive justice, quality of care, and health policy. Despite much attention...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-12-01
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| Series: | BMC Medical Ethics |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-022-00869-7 |
| _version_ | 1811302147635019776 |
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| author | Bjørn Hofmann |
| author_facet | Bjørn Hofmann |
| author_sort | Bjørn Hofmann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Geographical variations are documented for a wide range of health care services. As many such variations cannot be explained by demographical or epidemiological differences, they are problematic with respect to distributive justice, quality of care, and health policy. Despite much attention, geographical variations prevail. One reason for this can be that the ethical issues of geographical variations are rarely addressed explicitly. Accordingly, the objective of this article is to analyse the ethical aspects of geographical variations in the provision of health services. Applying a principlist approach the article identifies and addresses four specific ethical issues: injustice, harm, lack of beneficence, and paternalism. Then it investigates the normative leap from the description of geographical variations to the prescription of right care. Lastly, the article argues that professional approaches such as developing guidelines, checklists, appropriateness criteria, and standards of care are important measures when addressing geographical variations, but that such efforts should be accompanied and supported by ethical analysis. Hence, geographical variations are not only a healthcare provision, management, or a policy making problem, but an ethical one. Addressing the ethical issues with geographical variations is key for handling this crucial problem in the provision of health services. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:22:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e0a521e1974d4ee4aba394d6f081e385 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6939 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:22:53Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Ethics |
| spelling | doaj.art-e0a521e1974d4ee4aba394d6f081e3852022-12-22T02:56:33ZengBMCBMC Medical Ethics1472-69392022-12-0123111010.1186/s12910-022-00869-7Ethical issues with geographical variations in the provision of health care servicesBjørn Hofmann0Institute for the Health Sciences, The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)Abstract Geographical variations are documented for a wide range of health care services. As many such variations cannot be explained by demographical or epidemiological differences, they are problematic with respect to distributive justice, quality of care, and health policy. Despite much attention, geographical variations prevail. One reason for this can be that the ethical issues of geographical variations are rarely addressed explicitly. Accordingly, the objective of this article is to analyse the ethical aspects of geographical variations in the provision of health services. Applying a principlist approach the article identifies and addresses four specific ethical issues: injustice, harm, lack of beneficence, and paternalism. Then it investigates the normative leap from the description of geographical variations to the prescription of right care. Lastly, the article argues that professional approaches such as developing guidelines, checklists, appropriateness criteria, and standards of care are important measures when addressing geographical variations, but that such efforts should be accompanied and supported by ethical analysis. Hence, geographical variations are not only a healthcare provision, management, or a policy making problem, but an ethical one. Addressing the ethical issues with geographical variations is key for handling this crucial problem in the provision of health services.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-022-00869-7Geographical variationJusticeHarmBeneficenceAutonomy |
| spellingShingle | Bjørn Hofmann Ethical issues with geographical variations in the provision of health care services BMC Medical Ethics Geographical variation Justice Harm Beneficence Autonomy |
| title | Ethical issues with geographical variations in the provision of health care services |
| title_full | Ethical issues with geographical variations in the provision of health care services |
| title_fullStr | Ethical issues with geographical variations in the provision of health care services |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ethical issues with geographical variations in the provision of health care services |
| title_short | Ethical issues with geographical variations in the provision of health care services |
| title_sort | ethical issues with geographical variations in the provision of health care services |
| topic | Geographical variation Justice Harm Beneficence Autonomy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-022-00869-7 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bjørnhofmann ethicalissueswithgeographicalvariationsintheprovisionofhealthcareservices |