Emerging themes in the everyday ethics of primary care: a report from an interdisciplinary workshop

Abstract

We report key themes arising from a postgraduate workshop organized by the King's Interdisciplinary Discussion Society (KIDS) held in April 2011. KIDS believe that health is a phenomenon that transcends disciplinary boundaries, and therefore issues relating to health care and medical ethics are best addressed with an interdisciplinary approach. The workshop, entitled 'Everyday Ethics and Primary Healthcare', included poster presentations and oral presentations from participants from a range of disciplines and occupational backgrounds which highlighted the challenges faced by primary health-care workers. Three common themes emerged: the impersonal and cumbersome work environment that can result from the encroachment of rationalizing tools; the tension between 'ethical practice as an ongoing sensibility' and 'ethical practice as "box-ticking"'; and the contested nature of what constitutes 'health'. Participants felt that the interdisciplinary perspective was helpful in elucidating the various ethical issues arising in primary health care. On KIDSThe King's College London Interdisciplinary Discussion Society (KIDS) is a working group with a specific focus on issues relating to health care and medical practice. KIDS was founded on the premise that health is a phenomenon that transcends disciplinary boundaries, and that many contemporary issues related to health care, health policy and medical ethics are therefore best addressed with an interdisciplinary approach. Accordingly, KIDS is composed of postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows from a range of academic backgrounds including medicine, law, sociology and philosophy, and we have held workshops and seminars on key health-related issues bringing together medical practitioners and health professionals, academics, students, and members of the public. In this paper we discuss themes arising from a KIDS workshop which focused on the topic of clinical ethics in the context of primary care.

Ethics support for GPs: what should it look like?

“…3,13 Limited collegial input, due to factors like time constraints, leaves GPs mostly on their own when dealing with ethical decision-making. [14][15][16] While ethical issues in primary care might not have the same gravitas as those encountered in intensive care units, the sheer number of daily consultations taking place in primary care is reason enough to examine this area more closely for its specific ethical challenges, and to find ways to support its clinicians. 17 ethics support for clinicians has become increasingly common globally but is only in its beginnings in New Zealand.…”