Ethical Issues: The Case Of Emma Odgen
Autonomy is the ethical principle that competent persons should be allowed self-determination unless proven otherwise incompetent. The decision to prove someone as incompetent is easily determined if the patient is unconscious or an infant (VHE, pg 107). But what if the 'child' is 12 years old and has expressed wisdom beyond her years? As a society we determine that a persons below the age of 18 are lacking sufficient autonomy for a range of publically significant decisions unless proven otherwise. In the case of Emma Odgen, the decision is not as clear cut.
The first step in evaluating this ethical problem involves identifying what exactly needs to be solved. Emma is an extremely intelligent 12 year old and has expressed her wishes in a comprehensive …show more content…
But what is it to say that it is the health care provider's right to infringe on a patient's personal thoughts and decisions if they are of sound mind and are of no harm to other people? This is exactly what the health care team would be doing if they obtain a court order after declaring the parents as insufficient. Health care providers have no right to make these decisions if the patient is competent. Regardless if Emma is declared 'mature' her parents are of sufficient competency to make the decision in her place. It is a double wall of autonomy that cannot be broken or else it sets a dangerous precedence. For this specific reason, classic Hippocratic ethics has been phased out (VHE, …show more content…
Declaring Emma 'mature' would set a precedent that would be incredibly difficult to universalize and apply to other adolescents. This is definitely a special case in the fact that Emma has been tested 3 years above her grade level, making her as competent as an average 15 year old. She also has expressed significant comprehension of her condition and what the consequences of each course of action entail. Universalizing this decision of allowing a 12 year old be declared 'mature' is impossible to apply to every situation. Since this decision cannot be universalized across the board, it is clearly the 'wrong'
The first step in evaluating this ethical problem involves identifying what exactly needs to be solved. Emma is an extremely intelligent 12 year old and has expressed her wishes in a comprehensive …show more content…
But what is it to say that it is the health care provider's right to infringe on a patient's personal thoughts and decisions if they are of sound mind and are of no harm to other people? This is exactly what the health care team would be doing if they obtain a court order after declaring the parents as insufficient. Health care providers have no right to make these decisions if the patient is competent. Regardless if Emma is declared 'mature' her parents are of sufficient competency to make the decision in her place. It is a double wall of autonomy that cannot be broken or else it sets a dangerous precedence. For this specific reason, classic Hippocratic ethics has been phased out (VHE, …show more content…
Declaring Emma 'mature' would set a precedent that would be incredibly difficult to universalize and apply to other adolescents. This is definitely a special case in the fact that Emma has been tested 3 years above her grade level, making her as competent as an average 15 year old. She also has expressed significant comprehension of her condition and what the consequences of each course of action entail. Universalizing this decision of allowing a 12 year old be declared 'mature' is impossible to apply to every situation. Since this decision cannot be universalized across the board, it is clearly the 'wrong'