“Healing and Autonomy”
Case Study on Biomedical Ethics in the Christian Narrative
Part 1: Chart (60 points)
Based on the “Healing and Autonomy” case study, fill out all the relevant boxes below. Provide the information by means of bullet points or a well-structured paragraph in the box. Gather as much data as possible.
Medical Indications
Beneficence and Nonmaleficence Patient Preferences
Autonomy
Medical conditions refer to the data that a doctor relies on, to come up with diagnosis in regards to a particular treatment. Beneficence is all about acting with the best intention as the mind of an individual guides and promoting good, while nonmaleficence focuses on inflicting the least pain possible, and the avoidanceof harm (Starrett & Bertha 2017).
James’ parents were acting in the best interest of their child and that is why when the condition deteriorated, they decided to go back to the doctor. The doctor was also acting in the best interest of the patient because he believed that the child needed an immediate kidney dialysis to save his life, which means that he wanted to inflict the least harm. These acts show both beneficence and nonmaleficence. Autonomy is about the preference of the patient in decision making as well a right to make decisions that suit them best(Slowther, 2007). James is just eight years old, thus making him an underage child and in this respect, he is unable to make any decision. It is however needful that the parents consult James to see if he was comfortable with the decision they were making regarding his health.
In this situation, the physician had very little impact but would have at least talked to the parents and offer some medical advice in relation to the status of the boy’s health.
Quality of Life
Beneficence, Nonmaleficence, Autonomy Contextual Features
Justice and Fairness
Quality of life here implies the relevant features which are medical in nature and relate to the life before and after a medical treatment. The situation of James was worse before treatment but then there was an immense improvement after the treatment. He in the meantime has to go through a kidney transplant and the father thinks that either the brother should grant the kidney, or perhaps they should be dependent on faith.
Given the past experience, perhaps James’ input is necessary and because his condition deteriorated the last time they relied on faith maybe they now need to give him the kidney this time round. This could be in his best interest, inform the parents about the risks and benefits, and ensure that the method will inflict the least pain. Contextual features in this case refer to the legal, social as well as the setting of the family where an individual has to make some decisions, and how the same influences the decision. The faith of the parents is what influenced how they made their decisions in relation to the health of James. They are still applying the same faith as they consider prayers to heal James, as opposed to getting a kidney from the brother.
The principles of justice and fairness beseech one to act with utmost equality. With the tissue match being that of his brother, a conflict of interest arises but initially, the parents were willing to allow anyone to donate a kidney, including strangers. It is only fair and just that they consider the brother’s donation in the spirit of justice and fairness so that there is no influence of contextual features.
Part 2: Evaluation
Answer each of the following questions about how principlism would be applied:
1. In 200-250 words answer the following: According to the Christian worldview, which of the four principles is most pressing in this case? Explain why. (45 points)
The Christian worldview would push for beneficence as the most pressing principle, as compared to all the others. This is so because James’ parentshave the best intentions for their son. To them, their faith in conducting intensive prayers, coupled with the fact that they had seen previous miracles is what drives their motivation to act the way they are. Thus, they prefer prayers as a means of healing their son, as opposed and as compared to treatment because of the faith that they have in their God. It is not possible to apportion blame to the parents in relation to the deteriorating health of James. This is because as soon as they came to the realization that he was not getting better, they took him back to the physician. Hence, it is correct to imply that by all means, the parents acted in good faith and to James’ best interests at heart. Beneficence is all about acting with the best intention.
In a Christian worldview, the intention is what matters and so, as long as the intention of the parents was good, then they are in the right track in relation to the wellbeing of their son. The action of taking the boy back to the physician is in itself a show of beneficence because the intention is to have the boy get well with treatment, and not to force prayer to heal the boy. This is in consideration to the fact that they can still pray that the treatment works. Beneficence is the most pressing principle, all the other principles involve the treatment rather indirectly, but beneficence incorporates all the other principles as it involves promoting good. Biblically, it is stipulated that one should do good to others, and that is what the principle of beneficence involves.
2. In 200-250 words answer the following: According to the Christian worldview, how might a Christian rank the priority of the four principles? Explain why. (45 points)
A Christian ranking would typically have beneficence as the first principle in order of priority, followed by nonmaleficence, then justice and fairness would follow, and finally autonomy. In a Christian worldview, it is the parents’ duty to show love to their children and so act in a manner likely to demonstrate the best interests of the child. The care is closely associated with autonomy, but the idea of the individual being a child takes away the benefits of autonomy as is seen in the case study. Parents also should ensure that under all circumstances, their actions should not lead to any harm on the child. This is what nonmaleficence is all about, and is very evident in the case when the parents decided to take the boy back to the doctor after their initial thought of healing him from intensive prayers did not bear fruit. They thus had no intention of harming the child. Christians have a duty to enhance and practice justice as well as fairness in all their activities and behaviors, because God, whom the Christians worship and pray to, is a just and fair God. After all the principles are applied, autonomy is the last. It is also one of the things that Christians should adhere to, and allow people to make their own decisions without influence from any other person, unless it is the case of a child who is a minor and therefore unable to make concrete decisions.
Reference
Slowther, A. M. (2007). The concept of autonomy and its interpretation in health care. Clinical Ethics, 2(4), 173-175.
Starrett, S., Lara, A. L., & Bertha, C. (2017). Engineering ethics: real world case studies. Reston, VA: ASCE.
