Discussion: Code of Conduct in Medical Tourism and Reply to Jeffreys Discussion

Discussion:
  
Medical Tourism has become a growing industry, especially in  developing countries. Research the topic of medical tourism, and find a  scholarly or credible article for your topic.  Develop a code of conduct  for medical tourism. Your code of conduct must include

Organizational values
Guidelines for acceptable behavior
Compliance with legislation
Examples of prohibited acts

Your response must be a minimum of 300 words.
Use at least one scholarly or credible source.

The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources  table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you  have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this  assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the  final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a  particular assignment.

Guided Response: Review several of your classmates’  posts and respond to at least two of your peers by 11:59 p.m. on Day 7  of the week. You are encouraged to post your required replies early  during the week to promote more meaningful interactive discourse in the  discussion. When responding to a classmate, give two suggestions that  could improve the code of conduct. Explain your reasons for the changes  or additions.
Your responses must be a minimum of 150 words.

JEFFREYS DISCUSSION REPLY:
  
Code of Conduct
The code of conduct forms the legal and ethical behavioral standards  for an organization to follow. It is the foundation in which ethical  behavior in the workplace is explained. Gonzalez-Padron (2015) described  the code of conduct as a method of guiding and developing an ethical  culture. Employees are required to understand and acknowledge this code  of conduct. There will be a zero-tolerance approach to violations of  this code.
Organizational values
“International medical travel – more commonly known as ‘medical  tourism’ – is the practice of traveling across international borders  with the intention of accessing medical care, typically paid for  out-of-pocket” (Snyder et al., 2017, p. 139). Being a medical tourism  company, we need to treat all patients with dignity and respect. We  support our communities and want to be well respected where we operate.  Medical tourists traveling abroad face several risks: substandard care,  difficulty receiving follow-up care at home, exposure to infectious  diseases, and undermining continuity of care. Our organization values  our patients, wants to minimize these risks, and strives to provide the  best medical care possible.
Guidelines for acceptable behavior
Employees are required to make ethical decisions and protect the  interests of the company. They must act with honesty and fairness.  Employees are required to report any unethical behavior to a senior  manager or the human resources department. Employees have a duty of  loyalty to the company and should act in the best interest of the  company.
Compliance with legislation
Company employees are required to observe all laws and regulations.  If there are contradictory or stricter laws than what the company has in  place, employees must comply with the laws and regulations. Employees  may not falsify information on forms or records. Employees are required  to report information and comply with litigation requests, complaints,  and inquiries.
Examples of prohibited acts
Company employees shall not request or accept gifts, loans, or  payments for themselves or others if it is meant to influence their  duties or decisions. Employees shall not use confidential information  for the private gain of the employee or any other person.
Company employees may not harass, invade the privacy of, intimidate,  or interfere with another employee in a manner that is offensive.  Employees may not engage in unprofessional behavior with other employees  or customers. Employees may not engage in negligent or deliberate  destruction or cause damage to the company’s property.
References:
Gonzalez-Padron, T. (2015). Business ethics and social responsibility for managers [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/
Snyder, J., Johnston, R., Rory, C, Valorie M., Morgan, J., Adams, K.  (2017, June). How Medical Tourism Enables Preferential Access to Care:  Four Patterns from the Canadian Context. Health Care Analysis, 25(2), 138-150.