In the article from The Ethicist, a patient expresses concern after arriving for a scheduled dental procedure and learning that it will be performed by the dentist's son rather than the dentist himself. The patient feels uncomfortable, believing that they had chosen the dentist for his expertise and are entitled to know if a different practitioner, especially one with less experience, will perform the procedure. The Ethicist acknowledges that while it's common for healthcare teams to work collaboratively, patients expect to be informed about any changes that affect their care and the provider they originally selected. In a secondary question, a former employee of a religious organization grapples with feelings of responsibility after witnessing a slip hazard that later caused an injury to someone with whom they had a negative history, questioning whether they should come forward about the incident.

Key Points:

• Patients expect to be treated by the specific professional they chose, especially for significant procedures.
• Dentists and healthcare providers have an ethical obligation to inform patients if a different qualified person will be performing the service.
• The sudden change in who will provide care can erode patient trust in the healthcare provider.
• In the secondary question, the former employee reflects on their ethical responsibilities regarding a safety hazard they noticed.
• It's emphasized that while they should have reported the hazard, they were not formally obligated to do so as a non-employee.
  Link to Article