"It's 100% for me": hospital practitioners' perspectives on mandatory HIV testing.
Indian J Med Ethics
;
2009 Jul-Sept; 6(3): 132-137
Article
in English
| IMSEAR
| ID: sea-144620
ABSTRACT
This article explores the thinking of medical practitioners working in nine hospitals spread across five cities in India, on a contested subject - mandatory HIV testing of patients prior to surgery. We used in-depth interviews with practitioners and an interpretive analytical approach to understand their decisions to conduct mandatory tests. While many in the public health community see mandatory testing as an unacceptable violation of patient autonomy, the practitioners widely regarded it as a valuable cost-saving innovation for obviating transmission of infection during surgery. These conceptions are rooted in the day-to-day logic of practice which defines practitioners’ actions - imperative of personal security, investment in core occupational roles and the importance of harmonious relations with co-workers. The experiences of hospitals with contrasting policies on mandatory HIV testing shows how an approach that balances patients’ needs with an appreciation of practitioners’ perspectives may result in more workable solutions for field-level ethical dilemmas.
Full text:
Available
Index:
IMSEAR (South-East Asia)
Main subject:
Surgical Procedures, Operative
/
Humans
/
Attitude of Health Personnel
/
HIV Infections
/
Organizational Policy
/
Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional
/
Hospitals
/
India
Type of study:
Qualitative research
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
English
Journal:
Indian J Med Ethics
Journal subject:
Ethics
Year:
2009
Type:
Article
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