Verified Document

Kimberly Ann Bergalis Case Study

Kimberly Ann Bergalis

Q1. Should it be mandated that HIV-positive healthcare professionals inform their patients of their status?

According to Department of Health Guidelines (2005), exposure risk from HIV-infected providers is highly limited to select situations, where there is the risk of so-called bleed-back. However, HIV-infected personnel have an ethical responsibility to make patient health a priority (Health Care Workers, 2005). It should be noted that an ethical responsibility differs from a legal responsibility to inform patients. There are also many instances where such information would not be necessary. This may include physical and occupational therapy, routine examinations, and other common healthcare procedures which have no risk of HIV.

If it was required to fully inform patients before every single procedure, even those without risk, this would create unnecessary stigma upon healthcare providers with HIV and also, very likely, stigma against LGBT+ providers, given the association in America between HIV and gay men. Also, it might encourage patients to make decisions about their care not really grounded in medical science, for example, not seeing the best provider for their condition because he or she was HIV.

Finally, it should be noted that there are also risks for transmitting hepatitis C and other infections in...

…her patients today?

According to Wy?gowski (et al., 2016), it is critically important that healthcare institutions place the risk of HIV transmission in proper context, and not fall prey to panic. On the other hand, this does not mean that there should be no consequences. Rather, if there is a failure to take proper precautions, sanctions and ethical review are required, but this is just as true of any other issue which may arise in healthcare settings that place patients or providers at risk. HIV infection is not a high risk, but it has occurred in some rare instances, and just like…

Sources used in this document:

References


HIV Infected Health Care Workers: Guidance on Management and Patient Notification. (2005). Department of Health. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/---protrav/---ilo_aids/documents/legaldocument/wcms_127515.pdf


HIV and occupational exposure. (2019). Centers for Disease Control (CDC). https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/workplace/healthcareworkers.html


Wy?gowski, P., Rosiek, A., Grzela, T., & Leksowski, K. (2016). Occupational HIV risk for health care workers: risk factor and the risk of infection in the course of professional activities. Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management, 12, 989–994. https://doi.org/10.2147/TCRM.S104942

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Health Care Law Ethics
Words: 383 Length: 1 Document Type: Essay

Healthcare Health Care Law Ethics Health care over the years has become one of the most important debates to take place within the United States of America. This fact holds particularly true for the major part of the Obama Administrations whose New Health Care policies has been criticized extremely (Zhi Qu, 2010). The world, however, is still waiting for the final curtain to rise and to witness the climax which would be

Healthcare Economics Overall Healthcare and Economics Healthcare
Words: 1497 Length: 4 Document Type: Research Paper

Healthcare Economics Overall Healthcare And Economics Healthcare economics: Current challenges from a nursing perspective Although the subject of healthcare economics has been hotly-debated, on one issue there is widespread agreement: the aging of the population will substantively increase the demand for healthcare in the near and far future. As the population worldwide is aging and living longer, the need for essential services over a longer lifespan will generate more costs for an already-beleaguered

Healthcare Must Be Provided by the Government to All Citizens Who...
Words: 2176 Length: 6 Document Type: Research Paper

Health Care As human beings, our health and longevity have never been better. Many people today live to 100 years and beyond, and often in good and active health. One of the major reasons for this is better health care and more access to health care for more people. On the other hand, however, many people do not have access to the same health care services as others. Often, the main

Healthcare Issues, Systems, and Policies America, Once
Words: 1435 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

Healthcare Issues, Systems, And Policies America, once the global leader in the health of its population and among the nations with the highest quality and most readily available healthcare services, has now fallen behind almost twenty other countries, including some that only became industrialized in the last third of the 20th century, and with substantial assistance from the United States. While most other so-called "First-World" nations have already embraced several fundamental

Healthcare Reform Lowering Costs in
Words: 918 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

The amendments have had practical impacts such as repealing the tax mandate of the employer, health insurance tax of small businesses and decreasing the burdens on individuals and businesses. The compliance cost for small business owners has risen by 36% higher than that of larger corporations. Similarly, the average U.S. citizen has already been overtaxed. Since the passing of the Affordable Care Act, Americans have not enjoyed the benefits that

Healthcare Information Technology Electronic Medical Record: User
Words: 1472 Length: 5 Document Type: Research Paper

Healthcare Information Technology Electronic Medical Record: User friendliness is among the significant factors- probably the most essential factor- hampering extensive usage of Electronic Medical Record EMRs in respiratory therapy within my organization. User friendliness features a powerful, usually direct connection with my organization's efficiency, error level, operator exhaustion and operator satisfaction- are all essential elements for EMR usage. Moreover, within my organization, it's been observed that efficient coaching and execution techniques impact

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now