Active Social Responsibility in Healthcare Organizations

Active Social Responsibility in Healthcare Organizations

Active social responsibility extends beyond mere adherence to laws and ethical principles, requiring organizations to engage proactively in actions that benefit society. In the context of healthcare, this concept becomes even more critical, given the sector’s inherent duty to promote health and well-being. Hospitals, as primary healthcare providers, are uniquely positioned to influence community health positively. This paper argues that hospitals must engage in active social responsibility by performing actions out of beneficence, not just compliance with legal and ethical standards. By exploring relevant literature and examples of socially responsible healthcare organizations, this paper demonstrates how hospitals can and should go beyond the minimum requirements to make a significant impact on societal well-being.

The Concept of Beneficence

In medical ethics, one of the principles that has been widely accepted is the principle of beneficence, which means doing good to others. While it expands non-maleficence (do no harm), it also consists of actions that imply care, benevolence, and charity. In the context of healthcare, beneficence means striving to bring about greater good for patients, the community, and society as a whole (Cheraghi et al., 2023). Hospitals, therefore, have an ethical responsibility to participate in activities that are in the best interest of patients and the public, not just in legal compliance and recognizing basic ethical standards.

Legal and Ethical Compliance vs. Active Social Responsibility

While compliance with laws and ethical guidelines is necessary, it is not sufficient for fulfilling the full scope of social responsibility in healthcare. Legal requirements often set the minimum standards for operation, focusing primarily on preventing harm and ensuring basic rights (Chen et al., 2021). Ethical principles guide moral conduct, emphasizing duties such as confidentiality, informed consent, and patient autonomy. However, active social responsibility demands more proactive and voluntary efforts driven by a genuine commitment to societal welfare.

Examples of Socially Responsible Healthcare Organizations

Kaiser Permanente

California-based Kaiser Permanente, which is among the largest nonprofit health plans in the United States, is a perfect example of active social responsibility. It has established more focused and large-scale community health enhancement programs, including the Thriving Schools program, to enhance students’ and school staff’s health across the country. Some parts of the program involve physical activity, nutrition, and mental care (Flaubert et al., 2021). Even beyond simple health-related objectives, Kaiser Permanente works to reduce social determinants of health and thus improve society overall.

Cleveland Clinic

The Cleveland Clinic is another example of a healthcare organization committed to social responsibility. Other community activities are health promotion and disease prevention, organized through clinics and involving grant-funded programs for screening, education, and collaborations with other institutions aimed at reducing health inequalities (Clinic, 2023). Furthermore, the Clinic’s efforts to employ sustainability and practice less harm to the environment are examples of how it embraces other aspects of social responsibility besides direct patient care since environmental health affects the health of the population.

The Impact of Active Social Responsibility

Improved Public Health Outcomes

Facilities with active social responsibility involvement are responsible for improving the outcomes of health care in communities. Social justice is attained by eradicating health disparities through addressing fundamental causes like education, housing, and diet in these organizations. For example, mobile clinics and health awareness programs fall under this category because they can offer basic services to patients who cannot access formal healthcare facilities.

Enhanced Community Trust and Engagement

Hospitals that consistently demonstrate their corporate social responsibility show their clients and communities they serve that they are trustworthy. This trust is important in health care since people will seek care, follow through with treatments, and engage in preventive health practices (Andreea et al. et al., 2023). Giving back to the community through volunteerism, participation in health fairs, and other communication initiatives that promote health also creates ownership or partnerships for health.

Conclusion

Healthy social responsibility not only means compliance with laws and ethical norms but also making an effort to contribute to society. Through the implementation of the principle of beneficence, hospitals have the ability to influence public health and welfare. Currently, leading institutions such as Kaiser Permanente and Cleveland Clinic demonstrate how healthcare organizations can progress from passive compliance to advocacy for health equity, organizational sustainability, and community engagement. As changes in the healthcare market have occurred, it is crucial that hospitals maintain the development of their newfound roles in the hospital’s social mission to create a healthier and more equal society.

References

Andreea Isabela Varga, Spehar, I., & Helge Skirbekk. (2023). Trustworthy management in hospital settings: a systematic review. BMC Health Services Research, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09610-5

Chen, C.-C., Khan, A., Hongsuchon, T., Ruangkanjanases, A., Chen, Y.-T., Sivarak, O., & Chen, S.-C. (2021). The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Image in Times of Crisis: The Mediating Role of Customer Trust. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(16), 1–20. NCBI. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168275

Cheraghi, R., Valizadeh, L., Zamanzadeh, V., Hassankhani, H., & Jafarzadeh, A. (2023). Clarification of Ethical Principle of the Beneficence in Nursing caAn: an Integrative Review. BMC Nursing, 22(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01246-4

Clinic, C. (2023, December 19). Cleveland Clinic Invests in Initiatives that Impact the Health of Communities It Serves. Cleveland Clinic; Cleveland Clinic. https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2023/12/19/cleveland-clinic-invests-in-initiatives-that-impact-health-of-communities-it-serves

Flaubert, J. L., Menestrel, S. L., Williams, D. R., & Wakefield, M. K. (2021). Educating Nurses for the Future. In www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK573912/

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Write a minimum 2-page (excluding the title and references page) research paper discussing the following argument:

“Active social responsibility requires organizations—namely hospitals—to do something beneficial (out of beneficence duties) and not only abide by the law or to general ethical principles”.

Active Social Responsibility in Healthcare Organizations

Research at least 2 relevant articles and include examples of socially responsible healthcare organizations.

Use APA 7 Format and list all your references.