Ethical Health Promotion-Related Issue

Sample Solution

   

Title: "The ethics of public health surveillance: A systematic review" Authors: Kassandra L. R. DeRose and Jennifer K. Wagner Journal: Public Health Ethics, 2022

Summary of the presented issue:

Public health surveillance is the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data on health and disease in populations. It is an essential tool for identifying and tracking health trends, and for developing and evaluating public health interventions. However, public health surveillance also raises a number of ethical concerns. These concerns include:

• Privacy: Public health surveillance data often contains sensitive personal information. It is important to ensure that this data is collected, stored, and used in a way that protects people's privacy.

Full Answer Section

   

• Consent: People should have the right to consent to or refuse to participate in public health surveillance activities. However, it is not always possible to obtain consent, particularly in the case of passive surveillance (e.g., tracking the number of people who are hospitalized with a particular disease).
• Stigma: Public health surveillance data can be used to stigmatize certain populations or groups of people. It is important to use this data in a way that is non-stigmatizing and that promotes equity.

Role of health care professionals in resolving the ethical issue: Health care professionals have a number of important roles to play in resolving the ethical issues associated with public health surveillance. First, they can help to ensure that public health surveillance data is collected, stored, and used in a way that protects people's privacy. This can be done by advocating for strong privacy protections, by developing and implementing secure data management practices, and by educating the public about their privacy rights. Second, health care professionals can help to ensure that people have the right to consent to or refuse to participate in public health surveillance activities. This can be done by providing people with clear information about the risks and benefits of participation, and by respecting people's decisions about whether or not to participate. Third, health care professionals can help to ensure that public health surveillance data is used in a way that is non-stigmatizing and that promotes equity. This can be done by working to address the root causes of health disparities, by developing culturally appropriate public health interventions, and by advocating for policies that promote health equity. Theories and ethical codes to support this position: The ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice all support the role of health care professionals in resolving the ethical issues associated with public health surveillance.

• Autonomy: The principle of autonomy states that people have the right to make their own decisions about their health care. This principle supports the right of people to consent to or refuse to participate in public health surveillance activities.
• Beneficence: The principle of beneficence states that health care professionals should act in the best interests of their patients and the public. This principle supports the use of public health surveillance data to identify and track health trends, and to develop and evaluate public health interventions.
• Nonmaleficence: The principle of nonmaleficence states that health care professionals should avoid harming their patients and the public. This principle supports the need to protect people's privacy and to use public health surveillance data in a way that is non-stigmatizing.
• Justice: The principle of justice states that health care professionals should treat all people fairly and equitably. This principle supports the use of public health surveillance data to identify and address health disparities.

Conclusion Public health surveillance is an essential tool for identifying and tracking health trends, and for developing and evaluating public health interventions. However, it also raises a number of ethical concerns. Health care professionals have a number of important roles to play in resolving these ethical issues, including protecting people's privacy, respecting people's right to consent to or refuse participation, and ensuring that public health surveillance data is used in a non-stigmatizing and equitable manner.