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Medical Technology And Ethical Issues By William E. Hicking

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Medical Technology And Ethical Issues By William E. Hicking
A person is being wheeled right through the door; the whole nursing staff head’s whip towards the cart. A doctor is on scene in less than a couple seconds writing all the symptoms the patient is showing; he immediately enters the data right into a computer system called RIP. This systems then displays the odds of the patient surviving. If the percent of death is 95 or higher all progress on the patient ceases and medical staff returns back to their stations. In the article “Medical Technology and Ethical Issues” by William E. Thompson and Joseph V. Hickey never discuss the accuracy of the computer system. When there is an error a person’s life is lost; a computer system should not be able to states whether someone should be given treatment or just die. If there is a five percent chance for someone may live then the risk should be made by the medical staff to operate. Another problem “Medical Technology and Ethical Issues” never elaborate on is what RIP is in reference to. Is it referring to a company name or is it simply an acronym for “Rest in Peace.” Technology is advancing in every aspect, but the reliance of it should not. Doctors should refer to RIP when needing help on which steps to take for treatment but not give up when the system suggests no more treatment. …show more content…
No one wants to lose a loved one, especially when finding out a machine thought it was not best to operate. “When Living Is a Fate Worse Than Death” by Christine Mitchell shows the negative effects of continuing medical treatment to postpone death. The little girl referred as Charlotte is dying and her partners elect to continue painful treatment forcing the little girl to live only for a little while longer. There is a blurred line in the medical field when choosing to treat a patient or to allow them a more peaceful
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