A Health Care Provider HIV/AIDS Status, Essay Example

Healthcare workers, just as other people, have a right to be protected against discrimination in the event they are HIV-infected. Studies show that, there are slim possibilities of a healthcare worker to infect a patient with HIV/AIDs or any other disease. (Tokars et al, 1993) According to a study conducted in Scotland, 93% of the respondent felt that, it is important to inform patients about the HIV status of the healthcare worker (Tokars et al, 1993). Even so, the ethical and clinical factors guiding the information that should be revealed to the patients are clear that, when risks are trivial, the patient should not know. Arguably, the failure to disclose the HIV status of the healthcare worker to the patient may appear as a cover up, in a profession where trust is inevitable. The healthcare profession requires the trust of the patient in order to offer services effectively. Fostering a culture of openness may ensure the patient’s trust is won, and the idea of concealment would certainly vanish. In the discussion that follows, the focus is on whether a patient should be told a health care provider has AIDS.

A study conducted in Chicago by a health expert is against the idea of compelling healthcare workers to reveal their HIV status to the patients (Cheung, Pantanowitz & Dezube, 2005). According to the study, the rules guiding the profession are putting a burden on the human rights supporters. In his observation, the recent data that the possibilities of transmission are very low do not support the guidelines. In 1991, Kimberly Bergalis, a patient from Florida, was infected by a dentist who was HIV infected. Following this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention established the guideline compelling the healthcare workers to reveal their HIV status to their patients (Cheung, Pantanowitz & Dezube, 2005). At the current provisions, it makes it very difficult for healthcare providers with HIV to come forward and reveal their status. The medical association in the United States is against forceful revelation of HIV infected healthcare workers. Even so, most people think that the rights of the uninfected patient are paramount, and the law should protect them.

In view of the rights entitled to a patient, the right to information is prevalent. Patients have a right to receive protection from any harm that may be caused by a health care practitioner. The right is spelt clearly in the non-maleficence concept. Even so, by informing patients on some details, it might not help, especially in a situation where the health of a patient should be accorded priority (Russell et al, 2014). Health care institutions are expected by the law to establish guidelines that govern self-reporting incase a healthcare worker is infected. In the event the provider’s blood is exposed to that of the patient, the latter should be informed. The patient should not only be informed on the source of the blood, but also the circumstances that led to exposure. Additionally, the patient should be briefed on the outcome of the HIV status of the provider upon test.

The association of nurses is fully aware that it has a duty to offer nursing care to all persons in commonwealth countries, those HIV/AIDs infected inclusive. It does so to protect the rights of individuals, those of health care providers, and the general public welfare. The association observes that, nurses have a right to be protected against discrimination under federal and state laws just as all members of the society. As health care providers, they should take caution and protect themselves against transmission or exposure to HIV virus by making use of the recommendations provided in OSHA (Cheung, Pantanowitz & Dezube, 2005). Issues revolving around managing heath care providers infected with HIV are complex, and the situation is even difficult because there lacks relevant data and court directions on the same. The possibility of a healthcare provider transmitting HIV to the patient is undocumented. In that respect, questions surrounding this issue cannot be addressed now. As it stands, healthcare providers infected are expected to continue offering their services following certain conditions. Firstly, the workers should adhere to preventive measures that prevent patients from being infected, and refrain from procedures and practices where a verified transmission risk exists. The health providers known to have such chronic infections as HIV should be cautioned against taking part in health activities that involve blood.

While majorities believe that patients have a right to know the HIV status of the patient, some believe that it is a nonissue and healthcare workers should not be compelled to reveal the HIV status. HIV infection to a health provider is a category of risk that should be kept away from the patients. Firstly, very rare cases have been recorded or reported of health care providers infecting their patients. As seen in the past, only less than ten cases of this kind have been reported and the practices were limited to a single dentist (Gifford, Lorig, Laurent & Gonzalez, 2007). Putting into consideration the HIV epidemic as revealed in the 80s and 90s, infection from a health care worker to a patient is not likely to happen, both in terms of incidence and in terms of prevalence. Secondly, there lacks evidence that health workers are infected with HIV at a disproportionately high rate in comparison with the possible needle sharing or sexual partners. Cases might be there of health care workers with HIV, but they have sexual partners whom they have not infected. Consequently, a conclusion may be made that health workers cannot spread the infection to their patients.

In the same vein, it is not right to compel medical care providers to reveal their HIV status to patients because all factors have been considered and measures taken to ensure no transmission of the same to patients. Considering there is increased attention in the medical profession, HIV infection on a health care worker is not something to worry the public. In the United States specifically, transmission has been made a rare occurrence (Cheung, Pantanowitz & Dezube, 2005). In that regard, it would be of no importance to compel health workers to disclose their status of HIV to patients. The HIV/AIDs severity cannot be denied, but disclosing the status to the patient is not a solution to this problem. In order to address the worries of the patients, health care workers should ensure patients are aware of the risks of HIV infection, but the information should not reveal their HIV status.

Acknowledging that a patient should be given right to know the HIV condition of the healthcare provider is putting the interests of the nurse or doctor at a risk. The patients’ rights are likely to ruin the interests of a worker at the place of work or social setting. For instance, in a hospital setting, services are provided by people emanating from diverse medical specialties. In a surgery room, unconscious patients are not likely to know who will attend to them. They are not able to identify all people involved in the surgical setting (Alexandra & Oster, 2011). Consequently, they may attack the person they identify as the caregiver, but they might not identify all of them. The most sensitive question that should be addressed is the situation the patient will enquire about the HIV status of the nurse or physician. Should they do it in front of everyone, say interns, medical students, hospital ethicists, or pharmacists? Allowing patients to have their right should not be interpreted to mean intruding on the rights and privacy of health care workers.

In conclusion, debates continue on whether it is the right of the patient to know the HIV status of the health care providers. The proponents of this campaign believe that, the patient’s right are paramount and as such, they should be briefed on the HIV status of their nurse or doctor. According to them, the few cases recorded of patients being infected with HIV by their doctors would have been prevented. Even so, their argument remains invalid as the infection were purely accidental. On the contrary, people against this believe that, health care workers have equal rights of being protected against any form of discrimination. Some measures have been put in place to ensure that cases of infection from doctor to patient are minimized. In that regard, it is irrelevant to conceal the HIV status of a healthcare. Infected doctors and nurses are advised to avoid involving themselves in activities that might lead to patient infection.

References

Alexandra M. & Oster, C. (2011). HIV Risk among Young African American Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Case–Control Study in Mississippi. American Journal of Public Health 101:1, 137-143.

Cheung. M. C, Pantanowitz L, & Dezube BJ. (2005). AIDS-related malignancies: Emerging challenges in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy. Oncologist; 10:412-426.

Gifford AL, Lorig K, Laurent D, Gonzalez V. (2007). Living Well with HIV and AIDS. Palo Alto, Ca: Bull Publishing.

Russell, A. et al. (2014). The High Prevalence of Incarceration History Among Black Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United States: Associations and Implications. American Journal of Public Health 104:3, 448-454.

Tokars, J. et al (1993). Surveillance of HIV Infection and Zidovudine Use among Health Care Workers after Occupational Exposure to HIV-Infected Blood. Ann Intern Med. 118(12):913-919.