Whistleblowing is an Act of Honor and Integrity

Whistleblowing is often perceived as wrong in our society, and many times whistleblowers face many hurdles after raising their voices against wrongdoing. This is because of the lack of awareness in the community regarding this act. Once society gets an understanding of the real significance of this act has the power to bring a change for the benefit of the whole commune. Today, as a healthcare provider, this blog will specifically focus on the importance of whistleblowing in healthcare systems.

Whistleblowing is an act of honor as it brings the wrongdoings in front, which ultimately serves as a safeguard for the people. A whistleblower refers to a person who raises a voice against misconduct or wrongdoing. “Raising concerns” or “Speaking up” are the two other synonyms often used to refer to this act. These two terms are commonly used in healthcare systems as the term whistleblowing is often misinterpreted (Paul & Aled, 2019). In the healthcare system, whistleblowing is crucial because it promotes accountability, protects patient safety, and helps to identify misconduct.

Whistleblowing can help expose procedures or actions that endanger the patient’s safety (Bolsin et al., 2011). Healthcare staff can report concerns if they see malpractice, neglect, or unethical behavior, ensuring that patients' needs are prioritized, and the proper steps are followed to make things right (Reader & Gillespie, 2013). They might reveal structural problems or shortcomings in the provision of healthcare, and make it possible for required changes to be made to improve the general quality of care by drawing attention to issues like insufficient staffing, medication errors, or hazardous practices.

Moreover, instances of fraud, waste, or abuse in healthcare organizations can be found by whistleblowing. This covers dishonest billing, kickbacks, or financial abuse. Such revelations may trigger legal proceedings, the recovery of monies, and the establishment of more stringent measures to stop such incidents from happening again.

Whistleblowing encourages moral conduct and academic honesty within the healthcare system. When healthcare workers see their colleagues engaged in unethical or unlawful behavior, it motivates them to speak up. Whistleblowers protect the public's trust and uphold the profession's ethical standards by doing this. Whistleblowers are essential in ensuring that healthcare rules and regulations are followed. The prevention of patient injury, avoidance of legal repercussions, and encouragement of conformity with industry standards are all facilitated by reporting regulatory infractions or non-compliance.

Healthcare organizations are held responsible for their conduct by whistleblowing. It promotes openness, opposes cover-ups, and pushes for required adjustments to stop harmful practices from happening again. Whistleblowers help healthcare facilities foster an environment of accountability and continual improvement by raising issues. Public health may be affected more broadly due to whistleblowing in the healthcare system. Whistleblowers contribute to the protection of public health by drawing attention to concerns like disease outbreaks, dangerous medical equipment, or environmental hazards.

In a nutshell, establishing reliable reporting procedures, safeguarding whistleblowers from retaliation, and ensuring thorough investigations are carried out to address the issues revealed are all necessary to promote and encourage whistleblowing. To provide a secure and encouraging atmosphere for reporting concerns, whistleblowing policies and procedures should be in place, properly disclosed, and routinely evaluated.

References

Bolsin, S., Pal, R., Wilmshurst, P., & Pena, M. (2011). Whistleblowing and patient safety: the patient's or the profession's interests at stake? J R Soc Med, 104(7), 278-282. https://doi.org/10.1258/jrsm.2011.110034

Paul, R., & Aled, J. (2019). Exploring the utility of internal whistleblowing in healthcare via agent-based models. BMJ Open, 9(1), e021705. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-021705

Reader, T. W., & Gillespie, A. (2013). Patient neglect in healthcare institutions: a systematic review and conceptual model. BMC Health Serv Res, 13, 156. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-13-156

Author Detail:

Uzma Bibi is an MScN student at Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery, Karachi, Pakistan. She is an experienced critical care nurse and also has a publication in Y category HEC recognized journals. Uzma is doing her research on whistleblowing. She is eager to expand the concept of whistleblowing in the healthcare system as this will promote patient safety. 

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