MEDICAL ETHICS CASE STUDY Mrs. Smith who suffers from systemic scleroderma, “an autoimmune disorder that affects the skin and internal organs and occurs when the immune system malfunctions and attacks the body's own tissues and organs. Smith was scheduled an appointment for March 27 and was asked to have her records faxed to her specialist Dr. Mean, but two days before her appointment she called to confirm and was told she missed her appointment on March 23 and it wasn’t on March 27. Smith try to beg and plead to schedule her as soon as possible, because her symptoms had gotten sever, but the scheduler told her that she would have to wait another month the next appointment. In Mrs. Smith’s case her physician lacks compassion and did not full fill all Codes of Medical Ethics, because, “A physician shall be dedicated to providing to providing competent medical care, with compassion and respect for human dignity and rights” (Pozgar, p356, 2013). Dr. Mean and his office should have been aware that the patient’s records were faxed over to the physician and should have confirmed the appointment. Mrs. …show more content…
Those who lack compassion have a weakness in their moral character” (Pozgar, p356, 2013). Dr. Mean’s lack of compassion for Mrs. Smith shows that his moral character is weak and the physician is not following the Code Of Medical Ethics, because, “ A physician shall, while caring for a patient, regard responsibility to the patient as paramount” (Pozgar, p356, 2013). When I look at the case of Mrs. Smith vs Dr. Mean I view it as the doctor is abandoning their patient at their medical time of need. “Studies show patients need compassion, acceptance, to be treated as a whole person and not to be abandoned. They need clear information that enables identification of the person they trust to make decisions when they are unable to do so and helps in the determination of goals of care” (Compassion and Support,
Sarah Cullen and Margaret Klein, “Respect for Patients, Physicians, and the Truth,” in L. Vaughn, Bioethics: 148-55
One of the most complex, ever-changing careers is the medical field. Physicians are not only faced with medical challenges, but also with ethical ones. In “Respect for Patients, Physicians, and the Truth”, by Susan Cullen and Margaret Klein, they discuss to great extent the complicated dilemmas physicians encounter during their practice. In their publication, Cullen and Klein discuss the pros and cons of disclosing the medical diagnosis (identifying the nature or cause of the disease), and the prognosis (the end result after treating the condition). But this subject is not easily regulated nor are there guidelines to follow. One example that clearly illustrates the ambiguity of the subject is when a patient is diagnosed with a serious, life-threatening
When we see patients, we must remember that we are not simply treating a disease. We are caring for people with lives, hobbies, jobs, families, and friends, who are likely in a very vulnerable position. We must ensure that we use the status of physicians to benefit patients first and foremost, and do what we promised to when we entered the profession: provide care and improve quality of life, and hopefully leave the world a little better than it was
The case of Marguerite M presents an ethical dilemma. Medical ethics play a special role in medicine and is directly concerned with its practice. Its role has continued to evolve as changes develop in
Southam, MD violated both the letter and spirit of such basic ethical principles as respect for persons, truth-telling, and informed consent. He ignored informed consent for the sake of the patients’ as he would say, but we can never be deductively positive. He violated the virtue of truth-telling through withholding the information of HeLa from many of his patients. Ultimately being found guilty of “unprofessionalism and deceit” is more evidence of his deplorable behavior as a professional. Evidence of his lack of respect for persons comes from Kantian deontological ethics, and his categorical imperative. Never treat a human person as means to an end, only as ends in
Slosar, J. P. (2004). Ethical decisions in health care. Health Progress. pp. 38-43. Retrieved from http://www.chausa.org/publications/health-progress/article/january-february-2004/ethical-decisions-in-health-care
Denise Dudzinski, PhD, MTS, Helene Starks, PhD, MPH, Nicole White, MD, MA (2009) ETHICS IN MEDICINE. Retrieved from: http://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/topics/pad.html
Siegler, M., and W. Winslade. "Ethics in Medicine." Clinical Ethics. By A. R. Jonsen. 7th ed. N.p.:
Three people can have the same condition, but only one will find the suffering unbearable. People suffer, but suffering is as much a function of the values of individuals as it is of the physical causes of that suffering. Inevitably in that circumstance, the doctor will in effect be treating the patient's values. To be responsible, the doctor would have to share those values. The doctor would have to decide, on her own, whether the patient's life was "no longer worth living."
There are a lot of doctors out there who have a lot of patients and feel like they are under so pressure. However, in the case presented to us, I felt that the doctor put Valerie’s self-care on the line. The reason I believe this is because the doctor was almost complaining that she had too many emails and could not keep with every individuals information. I think that this was a violation because the doctor did not take the time to properly care for her patient who was in need. Valerie was also looking for comfort during this difficult time and was not given any sort of respect. Her confidentiality was most certainty violated. It was hard to know what age she was so I predicted either a teenage or a young adult. So, with, no matter
I believe that we should always think of others needs and do no harm to others even if they have harmed you in some way. I treat others the way that I would want them to treat me and I expect that others will treat me the same way. I understand that not everyone feels the same as I do and that I cannot control the way that others decide to treat me. I show compassion for everyone I come in contact with and I treat every patient the same way despite the fact that they may be unruly or even try to hurt me. I have accepted the fact that there are some people out there who will try to hurt me despite the fact that all I want to do is help them. I feel that everyone in the health care profession should feel the same way as I do and try to keep themselves from losing their mercy that they show towards others. After being in the health care field for so long, many people stop caring for others and become detached from the patients. I agree that we cannot take every case personally but we still need to retain our humanity and continue to show compassion to fellow
Over the span of half a century, the medical profession has witnessed a catastrophic shift in the patient-physician relationship. As the manufacturing of new pharmaceuticals and the number of patients under a physician’s care continue to rise, doctor’s are finding it difficult to employ the time-honored principles listed within the Hippocratic Oath. This oath, written in 430 BC by the Greek Physician, Hippocrates, was the first document to state the responsibilities of a physician to his patient (vadscorner, pg 2). Hippocrates believed that it was the physician’s duty, as a healer, to treat the patient infected with the disease to the best of his ability, and not to treat the disease (Hippocrates, pg 1 ). He believed that the patient was, above all, the most important aspect involved in the healing process. With the rise in the number of patients under a physician’s care and the stringent rules by which each doctor must abide, many doctor’s are finding that they are unable to devote ample time to become acquainted with their patients (spiralnotebook, pg 1). Furthermore, as newly acquired information regarding illnesses becomes available on the internet, patients are seeking the advice of multiple physicians (Changing, pg 3). These differences between patients and their physicians, as well as numerous others, have caused rifts in the patient-doctor relationship.
9) Wall, L.L. (2006). The medical ethics of Dr J Marion Sims: a fresh look at the historical record. Journal of Medical Ethics, 32(6), 346-350. doi: 10.1136/jme.2005.012559
McGee, Glenn and Arthur L. Caplan. "Medical Ethics." Microsoft® Encarta® 98 Encyclopedia. © 1993-1997: Microsoft Corporation. CD-ROM.
Macklin R. (2003). Applying the Four Principles, Journal of Medical Ethics; 29: p.275-280 doi:10.1136/jme.29.5.275.retrieved from http:// jme.bmj.com/content/29/5/275.full