Ethics in Public Health, Clinical Practice, and Lactation: The ABCs of Doing the Right Thing

The Learner will be able to:

• Name one document for each kind of clinical practice guidance:
  • a mandatory (required) ethics document.
  • a voluntary (model, or best practices) document.
  • a public health directive that is voluntary unless made into law.
• Define the difference between an ethics obligations, and a legal obligation, in clinical practice.
• Explain how gifts and samples from commercial entities, to health care providers, can change professional clinical behavior.
• Describe why de-identification of a patient/client, before discussing their case with colleagues, does not meet ethical standards for privacy and confidentiality.

• Law vs. Ethics.
• Ethics vs. Morals.
• Ethical theories.
• Healthcare principles of ethics.
• Practice guiding documents for the lactation professional.
• Conflicts of interest.
• Intellectual property law.
• Privacy, security, and confidentiality.

We all understand, generally, that lactation support providers – from licensed primary healthcare providers to voluntary peer counselors – owe a “duty of care” to the parents they work with, defined by laws and ethics codes. But many find it confusing (and too philosophical) to understand what is really expected of them, especially in the moment, when decisions about how to do things “the right way” must be made. This session covers the basic of ethics and legal duty as a lactation support provider, offers examples from the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) literature, delves a bit deeper in a few topics that present the most common “potholes” for practitioners, and ponders realistic hypothetical stories that put the learning into practice.

The content in this module is re-evaluated every three years in accordance with ANCC criteria. This content will be re-evaluated and updated on or before August 20, 2023.