The impact of recent health legislation on health care ethics : the physiotherapy perspective

Abstract

There have been many changes in the physiotherapy profession since its beginnings in 1894. The first purpose of this thesis is to explore the way in which these changes have brought new ethical dilemmas for the physiotherapist and to discuss the way in which these are similar to, and also different from, those encountered by the medical profession. Common concerns, such as informed consent, confidentiality, truth telling and the professional relationship will be discussed from both an ethical and a legal view point and will be related to clinical practice.

The second aim is to consider two recent pieces of New Zealand legislation- The Health Information Privacy Code and The Code of Health and Disability Services Consumer's Rights. The way in which the legislation impacts on health care ethics will be discussed and also applied to physiotherapy practice.

In its conclusion the thesis will suggest that while the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumer's Rights makes clear the duties of physiotherapists as health care providers there are problems with the application of the Code to the field of rehabilitation.