Ethical Decision Making : Vignette Case Study

The case study represents an ethical problem whether the psychologist has litigable right to ask information about his former client from the hospital. I will apply the Rest’s Four-Component Ethical Decision Making Model to this problem.

Step 1 – Moral Sensitivity (recognition)-The first step of this framework of this decision making process is the moral sensitivity. This part explores the various aspects on how individuals perceive the moral aspects of the socio-scientific issues (Husted & Husted, 2001). Additionally, the moral sensitivity entailsthe tendency of a person to recognize that some aspects of the issues pose moral implications. In this case study, the psychologist takes the initiative to show a greater level moral sensitivity by trying to follow up the faring status of his client he referred to an inpatient facility. This is a positive step in showing how much one is concerned, and caring for his client so that a better path can be taken if her condition could have not been in a positively progressive manner. The lack of confirmation or denial by the hospital when he made a call to confirm the status of his client, shows an ethical concern over the institutions ability to provide information to the persons of concern in a timely way.

Step 2 – Moral Judgment (reasoning)–There is no harm caused on anyoneupon seeking to check on the status of a client you had referred to the inpatient facility (Ferrell &Fraedrich, 2010). The concern shown by the psychologist is very humane as he wanted to know how his patient was faring after having been referred to an inpatient facility. Since the client was his at some point, the urge to know of her progress from one level to another of the health care program was a moral obligation the psychologist. The inpatient facility had a moral duty too to ensure a timely, appropriate and timely information upon individuals seeking them. With less intrusion into the inpatient facility’s privacy, the discussion of the patient’s information should only be relayed to the germane to the patient’s care.

Step 3 – Moral Motivation—The urge of seeking that his patient recovers for the better is one element that would be of much fulfillment to the psychologist. The drive through which the psychologist pegs his moral consciousness is the full recovery of his referred patient and he is out to keep in check the health wise progress of the patient.

Step 4 – Moral Character (action) – Towards upholding a clear consciousness of an ethical concern over this scenario, the inpatient facility should be show a moral aware conduct by making sure that relevant information is passed to individual concern with their operations and follow up schedules upon their respective clients. This is supported from the statement that the institutions have to inform the participants to some limits of confidentiality in access and use of the psychological services they have delivered. The confirmation undertaken by the psychologist in seeking to know the health status of a patient he personally referred is a positive action in upholding a moral stance.

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