Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions

¶ … Ethics in the Helping Professions

Malpractice Vulnerability

Regardless of what specific profession a practitioner is engaged in, there are certain malpractice vulnerabilities that are germane to industries in which people seek the help of others. One of the most eminent of such vulnerabilities, and possibly the one that most frequently results in litigation, is miscommunication, which is an integral component of customer service and is at the heart of every practitioner's business. Far too often, practitioners leave themselves vulnerable to claims of malpractice by failing to communicate effectively with customers. This simple mistake can lead to a variety of exacerbating situations including the formation of unrealistic expectations to misunderstandings regarding the results and manner of treatment and may lead to customers believing that practitioners have deliberately mistreated them (No author, 2010).

Billing is another common area in which malpractice litigation may be sought. Discrepancies or inconsistency in billing -- which is a complicated process for even the best of practitioners regardless of industry -- can be easily cited as a means of discrediting or casting doubt on a practitioner's integrity, which is easily transferrable from his or her record-keeping to his or her aptitude for performing a particular line of service. Another fairly frequent vulnerability that can lead to malpractice can be found in the company which is particular practitioner keeps, from partnerships with other practitioners to the employees and specific office protocol that is used to maintain one's practice. Despite the fact that such other professionals may share economic and professional dependencies with a practitioner, they may not share the same goals or the same discipline required to maintain those goals. It is quite common for practitioners to be charged with malpractice litigation due to negligence on the part of their employees and others whom the practitioners are in business with -- and the result is that the practitioner whose name is on the door of the building is the one hit with the malpractice suit.

Prevention is the primary method for preventing malpractice vulnerabilities. To that end, practitioners can greatly reduce the likelihood of their involvement in any sort of malpractice litigation by keeping highly astute records of their involvement with patients, from the specific prognosis and advice they give to the patient's attitudes about and actually compliance with any directives. Excellent record keeping certainly applies as a preventive measure for any questionable issues regarding billing, since by keeping orderly, comprehensive records of patient information there is no reliance on external sources such as computers or independent personnel, which may be upgraded and lose information or switched to another line of work, respectively, and are therefore unreliable. It also behooves practitioners to closely monitor the activities of any working personnel or potential partnerships, since one of the most essential forms of defense against any potential malpractice is not what a practitioner knows to be truth, but what a practitioner can actually prove to be true. Therefore, improvements in communication are key to preventing claims of malpractice (Berry, 2011).