Intelligent Disobedience in Healthcare: Navigating the Ethical Landscape and Upholding Justice

In light of the pillars of healthcare ethics- beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice- current practices in the healthcare field raise ethical questions regarding how to uphold these pillars. The concept of intelligent disobedience- refusing unlawful or harmful orders to uphold moral values- posits a viable solution in ensuring healthcare ethics are upheld for individuals in America. In the American healthcare system, the prevalence of price gouging, which refers to increasing medication prices to a level considered unfair to consumers, restricts individuals from obtaining needed medications for various conditions, demanding policy changes to ensure the pillars of beneficence and non-maleficence are upheld. Moreover, disparities in the healthcare field exacerbated by socioeconomic factors violate the pillar of justice in healthcare ethics, calling for telehealth services or mobile clinics to ensure adequate access to healthcare for all Americans. Lastly, deceptive marketing undermines the autonomy of individuals by failing to ensure informed consent, thus requiring stricter regulations to uphold the pillar of autonomy. By reforming the healthcare system to uphold the four pillars of healthcare ethics, Americans can strive for moral practices and set a standard for healthcare systems internationally.