Impact of Ethical Challenges

What do you think is the potential impact of these ethical challenges on rural health care settings?

Training materials from Rural Health Care Ethics: A Manual for Trainers. WA Nelson and KE Schifferdecker,Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH

Impact of Ethical Challenges

Staff – caregiver stress, morale, job turnover, diverted staff time,

Patients – patient satisfaction, self-referralsOrganizations’ culture – professionalism,

quality of careRelationship with community – public image

and relations, givingRegulations – Joint Commission standardsOrganizations’ bottom line – cost of ethics

conflicts*

Nelson WA, Weeks WB, Campfield JM. The organizational costs of ethical conflicts. Journal of HealthcareManagment 2008;53(1):41-52.

Potential Effect on Organizational Performance

Ethical Conflicts

Marketing Costs

Operational Costs

Legal Costs

Public relations costs

Low staff morale

Staff work reduction

Litigation, settlements,

awards

Loss of business

Higher staff turnover

Higher wages required

Decreased efficiency

Decreased available resources

Lower profit margin

Decreased charitable

giving

Nelson WA, Weeks WB, Campfield JM. The organizational costs of ethical conflicts. Journal of Healthcare Management 2008;53(1):41-52.