The Triangle of Conscience
Conscience impacts health care as it relates to the facility, the patient, and the provider. Each of these consciences impacts the other. For example, the religious affiliation of a facility can influence the patient’s treatment options, and the services that a health care provider is able to offer.
Facility
Facility or institutional conscience is determined by federal and state laws, HHS guidelines, organizational policies and procedures, and, for faith-based facilities, Ethical and Religious Directives (ERDs).
Provider
Provider conscience is each provider’s deeply held individual religious and/or moral ethics regarding right and wrong and their interpretation of their professional obligations. A provider’s conscience may conflict with the conscience of the facility and/or the patient.
Patient
Every patient has their own personal moral and/or religious beliefs about what medical treatments are right and wrong for them. These beliefs may evolve over time as the patient ages and/or as their medical needs change.
- EX – Jehovah’s Witness patient refusing blood transfusion due to belief that accepting this treatment will preserve their earthly life at the cost of going to heaven when they die.