Hsc 525 Week 2
Ethical Health Care Issues: Organ Transplant Allocation
University of Phoenix
HCS 545 Health Care Law and Ethics
Louise Underhahl
July 23, 2012
Ethical Health Care Issues: Organ Transplant Allocation One of the areas that is currently affecting the United States is the ethical issue of organ transplant allocation. Since the first single lung transplant in 1983 and then the first double lung transplant in 1986 there have been thousands of people who have lived because of the surgery. One must examine, evaluate, and apply the four ethical principles to Organ transplant allocation to look at the ethical issues involved. Once must look at the fact that not every patient who would benefit from a transplant will receive one in time since the number of patients in need is far higher than the available organs for transplant. Another part of the organ transplant allocation issue is when a rock star, sports hero. Politian or TV personality receives a transplant over the everyday person waiting on a transplant list. The ethical principles Autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice must be used within the organ transplant allocation. Autonomy is the ethical principle, which represents the right a patient has to make his or her own health care choices and decisions. The arguments regarding proper organ transplant allocation and a patient’s right to make his or her own health care choices and decisions. This principle comes into account when one looks at a patient is sick and should be treated regardless of the cause of their illness such as the former substance abuser. The patient has made the decision to be a substance abuser will they be placed on the same transplant list as those that have made the unhealthy decision and have not been a substance abuser. The ethical principle beneficence focuses on actions that meet the well-being of others or in other words do good and avoid evil. Beneficence in organ transplant allocation ethics in
University of Phoenix
HCS 545 Health Care Law and Ethics
Louise Underhahl
July 23, 2012
Ethical Health Care Issues: Organ Transplant Allocation One of the areas that is currently affecting the United States is the ethical issue of organ transplant allocation. Since the first single lung transplant in 1983 and then the first double lung transplant in 1986 there have been thousands of people who have lived because of the surgery. One must examine, evaluate, and apply the four ethical principles to Organ transplant allocation to look at the ethical issues involved. Once must look at the fact that not every patient who would benefit from a transplant will receive one in time since the number of patients in need is far higher than the available organs for transplant. Another part of the organ transplant allocation issue is when a rock star, sports hero. Politian or TV personality receives a transplant over the everyday person waiting on a transplant list. The ethical principles Autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice must be used within the organ transplant allocation. Autonomy is the ethical principle, which represents the right a patient has to make his or her own health care choices and decisions. The arguments regarding proper organ transplant allocation and a patient’s right to make his or her own health care choices and decisions. This principle comes into account when one looks at a patient is sick and should be treated regardless of the cause of their illness such as the former substance abuser. The patient has made the decision to be a substance abuser will they be placed on the same transplant list as those that have made the unhealthy decision and have not been a substance abuser. The ethical principle beneficence focuses on actions that meet the well-being of others or in other words do good and avoid evil. Beneficence in organ transplant allocation ethics in
Bibliography: London Health Sciences Centre . (2011). Multi-Organ Transplant Program: Organ Allocation. Retrieved from LHSC: http://www.lhsc.on.ca/Patient_Familes_Visistors/MOPT /Organ_and _Tissue_Donation/Allocation McCarrick, P. M. (2010). Organ Trasplant Allocation. Washington DC: National Research Center for Bioethics Literature. Transplant Ethics. (2012). Information, Comprehension, Voluantariness: The Key to Informed Consent. Retrieved from Transplant Ethics: http://transplantethics.com/beinformed.html