Health professionals with disabilities: Ethics and progress

Though nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population has a disability, health professionals and medical students with disabilities still encounter roadblocks throughout training and their careers. What are the ethical considerations that could initiate progress for health professionals and medical students with disabilities?
Take a moment and consider this situation: An elderly and esteemed surgeon needs assistance to safely complete his or her cases. How should his or her colleagues respond?
A.     Report the surgeon to the licensure board
B.     Bring the issue to the attention of the department chair
C.     Confront the surgeon directly and privately
D.     Place a call to the organization’s patient safety hotline
This is a challenging situation for any professional.Give your answer to this poll in the October issue of theAMA Journal of Ethics ®.The October issue explores what “disability” means, how we can learn from physicians with disabilities and what medical schools can do to accommodate medical students with disabilities.
Articles featured in this issue include:“Perspectives on the Meaning of ‘Disability. ’” Public policy changes have shifted the meaning of “disability” over time, protecting people with disabilities under civil rights law. The criteria for judging people to be disabled likewise fluctuate across social and cultural contexts. Investigate whether and when policy-level interventi ons and reasonable accommodations create e...

Source: AMA Wire - October 7, 2016 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Troy Parks Source Type: news