Clinical and Professional Ethics in the Management of Motor Speech Disorders

ABSTRACT

The field of biomedical ethics is increasingly discussed in speech-language pathology graduate school curricula as well as in continuing education forums. The application of the principles of medical ethics can be extremely helpful to the difficult decisions sometimes facing speech-language pathologists with respect to doing good for their patients while respecting both patients' autonomy and federal and state law. Professions have increasing attempted to codify professional issues relating to moral issues through codes of ethics and codes of conduct. This article focuses on applying selected principles of medical ethics and professional codes of conduct to the practice of speech pathology specific to motor speech disorders. Case examples are provided to illustrate ethical decision making through consideration of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Code of Ethics as well as a number of principles of medical ethics.

Motor speech disorders - biomedical ethics - professional ethics - professional conduct

REFERENCES

• 1 Strand E A, Yorkston K M, Miller, R M. Medical ethics and the speech-language pathologist. In: Johnson A, Jacobson B, eds. Medical Speech-Language Pathology: A Practitioner's Guide New York: Thieme 1997: 192-208
• 2 Beauchamp T L, Childress J F. Principles of Biomedical Ethics, 5th ed. New York: Oxford University Press 2001
• 3 Beauchamp T L, Walters L. Contemporary Issues in Bioethics.  Belmont, CA: Wadsworth; 1999
• 4 American Psychological Association. Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct of the American Psychological Association. Washington, DC. December 1992
• 5 American Medical Association. Code of Ethics, 2001.  Available at: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/ pub/category/2503.html. Accessed September 4 2003
• 6 American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Code of Ethics (revised). ASHA Supplement 23. Rockville, MD: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association; 2003
• 7 Limentani A E. The role of ethical principles in health care and the implications for ethical codes.  J Med Ethics . 1999;  25 394-398
• 8 Scott P A. Professional ethics: are we on the wrong track?.  Nursing Ethics . 1998;  5 477-485
• 9 Martin M W. Personal meaning and ethics in engineering.  Sci Eng Ethics . 2002;  8 545-560
• 10 Horner J. Morality, ethics, and law: introductory concepts.  Semin Speech Lang . 2003;  24 263-274
• 11 Beauchamp T L, Childress J F. Principles of Medical Ethics.  New York: Oxford University Press; 1989
• 12 Jonsen A R, Seigler M, Winslade W J. Clinical Ethics: A Practical Approach to Ethical Decisions in Clinical Medicine.  New York: McGraw-Hill; 1992
• 13 Brady Wagner C L. Clinical ethics in the context of language and cognitive impairment: rights and protections.  Semin Speech Lang . 2003;  24 275-284