ACHE v. AMA Codes of Ethics

ACHE v. AMA Codes of Ethics The American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Code of Ethics is a list of principles set forth to guide healthcare executives in their daily practice. The Code of Ethics clearly defines the behavior and performance standards required by those performing the duties of healthcare executives. The ACHE Code of Ethics is designed in a way that clearly directs healthcare executives in their interactions with patients, employees, and the community. The ACHE Code of Ethics also clearly defines the responsibilities of the healthcare executive to the profession of healthcare management and also the responsibilities of the healthcare executive to the organization, as well as the responsibility of the healthcare executive to report violations of the code to the appropriate entities. The ACHE Code of Ethics is comprehensive and provides guidance for healthcare executives in the many facets of the profession. One of the areas of strength of the ACHE Code of Ethics is the focus on ensuring that there are adequate processes in places for nearly every area of patient care, including conflict resolution, safeguards to prevent discrimination, ensuring autonomy, ensuring confidentiality, and many others. Because the ACHE Code of Ethics outlines the importance of having these processes in place, it is vital that the healthcare executive ensure that these processes are in place so that he/she can be in compliance with the ethical code and exhibiting the utmost competence in the field. One of the major areas of weakness that the ACHE of Code of Ethics possesses is the lack of any principle stating that the patient must come first. Although there are principles involving ensuring autonomy and self-determination, there is not a principle outlining the statement that patients must come first, including ensuring