I was excited to discuss this chapter due to the requirements for having ethics within the health care world. There's a certain amount of empathy a person has to have in order to communicate effectively. Within this type of ethic, people are vulnerable... which can be very emotional due to many people experiencing things that they've never dealt with before, which could possible lead to death. Also, this type of ethic refers to privacy as well. Keeping things private are essential and deal with legal issues. This part stuck out to me: "To understand health care communication ethics is to broaden our under-standing of the notion of health, taking it beyond obvious optimism to an active place of communicative response, a place of hope. Health care communication ethics protects and promotes the good of responsive hope and the good of care for the Other in meeting moments of robust heath, normal difficulties, the tragic, and the inevitable" (191). I liked this because health is somethings that we all have to come to terms with, either through others or inevitably ourselves. The way we communicate about our health issues is imperative to saving face in intimate relationships, familial ties, and friendships.
There were 4 metaphors of importance in the chapter:
1)
Health care communication— the study of communication practices within the broad domain of health care, from patient/ professional interaction to institutional communication questions about health.
This reminded me of the privacy issues that surround health care. Discretion is needed by anyone employed in the health care world, to do their job efficiently. People become vulnerable, and the way we treat them can play a monumental factor in their self-esteem.
2)Health— the interplay of communicative responses to conditions of mind, body, and soul, from beginning to end of a life. This reminded me that communication is not only from person to person, but from person to body. The way you exercise and eat create ethical issues of their own. It's not wise to eat Big Macs if you have cholesterol issues. The way you treat your body has a profound effect not only on you, but others that care about you.
3) Responsiveness— responsibility that meets the call of the Other, even when the call is unwanted. This reminded me of my mom, actually. She's going through health problems of her own, and she hates it because she has to depend on others now when she's used to doing things by herself. I've responded by giving all the care I can provide, even though it bugs her at times.
4) Care— a human answer to the call of the Other, a willingness to meet and attend to someone other than oneself. This brings me back to the empathy I was talking about before. You have to be willing to be a safe blanket for those who are sick that you care about. They have to be able to rely on you in certain times. This can make or break a relationship, because 1 person is not at 100%. I've learned that I know who my real friends and family are during tough times. Health care problems provide hard times, and those who provide care for you are those that really give a damn!
I am glad you brought up the idea of privacy. I think that is one of the most important things a person in the health care industry has to be aware of. Trusting your doctor with your medical records and being able to trust their decisions when it comes to your health requires a lot of communication ethics. They have to establish a sense of privacy along with professionalism when dealing with patients.
ReplyDeleteAs you mentioned earlier, dealing with health issues is a difficult thing to do. We are all young students and hopefully haven't had to deal with too many health problems, but the fact of the matter is at some point we all will. I have been in the same situation about helping a family member when they are used to doing things on their own. You can see that it frustrates them but they continue to keep a positive attitude because they want others around them to remain positive. It is hard to deal with communication ethics when it comes to health. I was upset that my grandfather was sick but he never showed it, and didn't want anyone around him to show it. Even when the doctors presented him with bad news, he always reacted with a positive scenario.