Solidarity and Responsibility in Health Care

Illegal immigrants, health care, and social responsibility.

I llegal immigrants form a large and disputed group in many countries. Indeed, even the name is in dispute. People in this group are referred to as illegal immigrants, illegal aliens, irregular migrants, undocumented workers, or, in French, as sans papiers. Whatever they are called, their existence raises an important ethical question: Do societies have an ethical responsibility to provide heal...

Just Solidarity: the Key to Fair Health Care Rationing

I agree with Professor ter Meulen that there is no need to make a forced choice between “justice” and “solidarity” when it comes to determining what should count as fair access to needed health care. But he also asserts that solidarity is more fundamental than justice. That claim needs critical assessment. Ter Meulen recognizes that the concept of solidarity has been criticized for being excess...

Family health care based on the principle of solidarity.

2012 / 4 Responsibility , freedom , and forgiveness in health care

This paper focuses on the optimal allocation between health and lifestyle choices when a society is concerned about both fairness and forgiveness. Based on the idea of fresh starts, we construct a social ordering that permits us to make welfare assessments when it is acceptable to compensate individuals who have mismanaged their initial endowment. Our social rule also allows for the inclusion o...

Constructing the health care system in Greece: responsibility and powerlessness.

OBJECTIVES Based on health care professionals' (HPs) and patients' interviews about work demands and quality of care in hospitals, the study explores the way that patients and HPs constructed their identities to describe and construct the health care system in Greece. DESIGN This is a qualitative study using a focus group (FG) design. METHODS Seven FGs discussions were conducted: three FGs ...