What is Ethinomics?
The term ethinomics was first introduced by scientist Marrill Mathews at the end of the last century, and the main essence of this concept was the unification of ethics and economics definitions (Rambur, 2015). The main essence of this phenomenon is to describe a certain term from two sides, using both ethical norms of morality and economic aspects of life. Rambur (2015) also notes that a conflict, which almost always occurs when a controversial issue arises, always implies both of these concepts.
Also, according to the author of the book, if the term of ethinomics is applied to healthcare, this phenomenon manifests itself since the issues of medical ethics are strictly individual, and less attention is paid to the health of the entire population (Rambur, 2015). Therefore, this phenomenon has a rather interesting application and is a useful area of study.
Additional Models to Guide Ethical Decision Making
Certain criteria for selecting tools to achieve specific goals and decisions are very often closely related to ethical nuances. According to Rambur (2015), one such mechanism is Rawls’s theory of justice, the main essence of which lies in basic liberties and equality in society. Brown and Treviño (2014), for example, refer to the notion of a side-to-side phenomenon, the core of which is as follows: behavioral traits largely determine those decisions that are made.
Also, Rambur (2015) considers the model of the ethics of caring, which is typical for nursing activities and primarily determines the order of decisions. Responsibility rests with the performer, and several factors depend on the decision to be made: the patient’s condition, the period of recovery, possible side effects, etc. Thus, there are quite a lot of models, and each of them depends on the field of activity and the consequences that they may entail.
The Commonwealth Fund Focus Areas
The activities of the Commonwealth Fund, an American organization that pays considerable attention to healthcare issues and access to health services, focus on the specifics of insurance today. According to the information from the official website, one of the priority activities of the fund is work aimed at providing freer access to health insurance for people with low and middle income (“Health care coverage,” 2018). Also, the organization is committed to constantly seeking data about the state of health services in the country and assessing innovations that occur in the healthcare sphere (“Health care coverage,” 2018).
As it is noted on the official website of the Fund, the analysis and development of national solutions to specific problems is an activity in which all members of the organization are interested (“Health care coverage,” 2018). Program participants regularly assess the state of the investigated area for obtaining competent information. Therefore, the work carried out by specialists is essential and has significant interest for both citizens with insufficiently high incomes and the entire US healthcare system.
References
Brown, M. E., & Treviño, L. K. (2014). Do role models matter? An investigation of role modeling as an antecedent of perceived ethical leadership. Journal of Business Ethics, 122(4), 587-598.
Health care coverage and access. (2018). Web.
Rambur, B. (2015). Health care finance, economics, and policy for nurses: A foundational guide. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.