Case Study Approaches to Ethical Eilemmas

Study Case: Approaches to Ethical Dilemmas

Tara Sloan

BSHS / 335

March 23, 2015

Nicole Zmuda

Study Case: Approaches to Ethical Dilemmas

Social service providers are bound to come across a child abuse case while working in the profession and they should always be prepared to handle such a case. To be prepared to handle a child abuse case one must have several different intervention strategies ready to use at all times.  Throughout this essay, I will identify the ethical issues in the case and describe what ethical issues that I may encounter and how I intend on approaching them.  

The case study that I chose to elaborate on is A Minor Confidentiality Issue, case #14. This case was about a six year old little boy named Tavion. His father, Mr. Robinson, brought him in to the hospital for treatment of abrasions and a broken arm. His father explains to them that Tavion was playing on the playground when he fell from a piece of the playground equipment and that is when he broke his arm. During the hospital visit Tavion’s father acted a little hesitant for Tavion to be left by himself with the hospital staff. So, when it was time for his x-rays, the hospital staff made a point to not let his father come back with him. During his x-rays, the staff asks Tavion about his injuries and if he was afraid of being harmed by anyone at home. Tavion denied any abuse as well as any fear of abuse by anyone in the home. This information was recorded in Tavion’s records at the hospital. Before leaving the hospital, Mr. Robinson “requested that a notice be placed in the record that he was to be notified prior to releasing Tavion’s records to anybody else” (Grebner, 2009). Mr. Robinson also stated that he and Tavion’s mother was divorced and she was not allowed any access to Tavion’s medical records what so ever. The following weekend Tavion’s mother went to the hospital wanting copies of Tavion’s medical records; her reason was that she suspected that Tavion’s father was physically abusing their son.

I do believe that Tavion’s mother’s statement of concern of abuse is sufficient enough to warrant further investigation by the hospital. I say this because the hospital even thought something was out of place because of the way Tavion’s arm was broke. The hospital stated that Tavion’s abrasions would not have been such a clean break if he had of really fell from the jungle gym. Tavion’s father even acted suspicious when he brought him in. Also, if his broken arm was an accident, why would Tavion’s father want to keep others away from the hospital records? In my opinion, that would be a large red flag.

Tavion’s mother should be directed to a different department of the hospital because the emergency department does not handle the release of records. She should be directed to the release of information desk. There she will be able to talk to someone about getting the copy of the records that she is wanting. She could also be directed to the department of children and families, as well as to the local sheriff’s office.

The internal force that impacts this case is the father not wanting to release the child’s records to anyone, especially the mother. The external forces that impacts this case is the mother wanting a co[y of her sons medical records because she suspects Tavion’s father of physically abusing their son. Another force that impacts this case would be the father’s story not adding up to the child’s injuries. This also makes the hospital staff wonder if the father is telling the truth about what really happened that made Tavion break his arm.