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Ethical Issues and Decision Making, 2nd Edition: Summary
CASE STUDY
John works as a physical therapist in a small, privately owned physical therapy practice. Besides John, the professional staff includes the owner, Bill (a physical therapist) and June (a physical therapy assistant). John has worked at this practice for five years and has developed a close relationship with Bill as a friend and mentor. June has been working there three months. Everybody seemed to have a good working relationship.
Therefore, John was perplexed when June approached him in private and told him that since she began working at the practice, Bill has been making inappropriate sexual remarks to her, for example, commenting on her figure and suggesting that she should wear tight clothes to accent her backside and breasts. At this point, June did not know what to do. She really enjoyed and needed this job and was reluctant to confront Bill. She also did not want John to talk with Bill about this, because she did not want to make things worse. John was unsure about the right course of action. What is John’s primary duty in this case? How should he respond to June? What are his obligations to his organization and to his profession? Is there a legal duty in this case? What other information would John need to make a justified decision? Conclusion:
on established evidence, providing continuity of service, ensuring informed consent, maintaining confidentiality, providing just and fair treatment, maintaining proper credentialing, documenting in an accurate and timely manner, stewarding resources, and avoiding conflicts of interest. Physical therapy practitioners should take the opportunity to examine the APTA Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapist and the APTA Guide for Professional Conduct and explore the enforcement procedures used by the APTA with its members.
The APTA Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapist and Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant are designed to guide PTs toward competency and ethical behavior. PTs are expected to aspire to the highest level of moral standards, which are organized according to six principles: Beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, justice, veracity, and fidelity. Within these principles are important concepts that should be upheld, such as maintaining professional competence, basing intervention
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