Ethics Case Study Essay
CASE
PRESENTATION:
Mr. Z is a visiting professor of biophysics at a large university medical center. The Z family came to the United States two years ago and will be in this country for five years. Family members include the doctor; his wife, Mrs. Z; their two children, who are four and seven years old; and Mr. Z’s mother.
The family has adopted the traditions of a prominent culture in their country of origin, where the husband is conventionally the primary decision maker and the husband’s mother is in charge of the household, determining how it is organized. Mrs. Z accepts her mother-in-law’s decisions related to the household and child-rearing practices.
Ethical situation:
Mrs. Z discovers a lump in her right breast. She tells her …show more content…
Z. The patient has the right to choose what type of treatment to receive and even to refuse treatment so long as there is no harm to others. What is debatable in this case is the harm to others. The patient is presumably not very old and she is married with two young children. Her life does not exist in a vacuum. Although the decision might be hers, her choice seems out of character with her life circumstances. Mothers usually have a desire to care for and be there for their children, and children certainly need their mothers. It is unclear what types of relationships are occurring between the patient, her husband, and her mother-in-law. It is possible that an exploration of these relationships could either help explain why she is choosing no treatment or how to help her change her …show more content…
Am I Comfortable with this Decision?
1) If I carry out this decision, would I be comfortable telling my family about it? My clergyman? My mentors?
2) Would I want children to take my behavior as an example?
ETHICS
3) Is this decision one which a wise, informed, virtuous person would make?
4) Can I live with this decision?
Model applied to Case Study:
In the case study, the moral dilemma lies in whether or not to break confidentiality since the patient is refusing life-saving treatment that is likely to be curative if acted on quickly and the patient has chosen to keep the diagnosis secret from the family. This creates a knowledge vacuum preventing anyone from acting based on the actual life situation, and the patient, herself refuses to act or to connect with anyone. The interested parties are the patient, her husband, children, mother-in-law (based on cultural norm) and the Medical staff—physician and nurses. The values involved include autonomy/privacy, family culture with the husband and his mother running the family, the medical values of beneficence and non-maleficence. The benefits to breaking confidentiality would be to inform those close to the patient that her diagnosis is serious, but potentially curative treatment is available. Her family could likely be a system of encouragement and support for her. If the patient is in denial or avoidance, her family could help her see the situation more clearly and help her make the decision for some type of treatment.
PRESENTATION:
Mr. Z is a visiting professor of biophysics at a large university medical center. The Z family came to the United States two years ago and will be in this country for five years. Family members include the doctor; his wife, Mrs. Z; their two children, who are four and seven years old; and Mr. Z’s mother.
The family has adopted the traditions of a prominent culture in their country of origin, where the husband is conventionally the primary decision maker and the husband’s mother is in charge of the household, determining how it is organized. Mrs. Z accepts her mother-in-law’s decisions related to the household and child-rearing practices.
Ethical situation:
Mrs. Z discovers a lump in her right breast. She tells her …show more content…
Z. The patient has the right to choose what type of treatment to receive and even to refuse treatment so long as there is no harm to others. What is debatable in this case is the harm to others. The patient is presumably not very old and she is married with two young children. Her life does not exist in a vacuum. Although the decision might be hers, her choice seems out of character with her life circumstances. Mothers usually have a desire to care for and be there for their children, and children certainly need their mothers. It is unclear what types of relationships are occurring between the patient, her husband, and her mother-in-law. It is possible that an exploration of these relationships could either help explain why she is choosing no treatment or how to help her change her …show more content…
Am I Comfortable with this Decision?
1) If I carry out this decision, would I be comfortable telling my family about it? My clergyman? My mentors?
2) Would I want children to take my behavior as an example?
ETHICS
3) Is this decision one which a wise, informed, virtuous person would make?
4) Can I live with this decision?
Model applied to Case Study:
In the case study, the moral dilemma lies in whether or not to break confidentiality since the patient is refusing life-saving treatment that is likely to be curative if acted on quickly and the patient has chosen to keep the diagnosis secret from the family. This creates a knowledge vacuum preventing anyone from acting based on the actual life situation, and the patient, herself refuses to act or to connect with anyone. The interested parties are the patient, her husband, children, mother-in-law (based on cultural norm) and the Medical staff—physician and nurses. The values involved include autonomy/privacy, family culture with the husband and his mother running the family, the medical values of beneficence and non-maleficence. The benefits to breaking confidentiality would be to inform those close to the patient that her diagnosis is serious, but potentially curative treatment is available. Her family could likely be a system of encouragement and support for her. If the patient is in denial or avoidance, her family could help her see the situation more clearly and help her make the decision for some type of treatment.