Case Study on Biomedical Ethics in the Christian Narrative Assignment
PHI 413 Assignment Case Study on Biomedical Ethics in the Christian Narrative
PHI 413 Case Study on Biomedical Ethics in the Christian Narrative Assignment
Applying the Four Principles: Case Study
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 indications consist of data which enables healthcare providers to make better decisions founded on effective diagnosis of a health problem affecting a patient. Medical indications help the healthcare
providers to get the most effective treatment options.
Beneficence emphasizes prioritizing the best interests and intention of a patient, and even their families. Beneficence allows providers to have better outcomes (Beever & Brightman, 2017). On its part, non-maleficence is concerned with ensuring that patients are not harmed by a decision made by a healthcare provider.
In this case, parents’ parents acted in his best interests by taking him to the hospital and later to their church and back again to the facility. They believed that their actions would allow their child to recover from glomerulonephritis. They acted with beneficence and did not intend to harm him (Carr & Winslow, 2017). The did not know that James condition could worsen due to delayed treatment. As Christians, they hoped that James would get better through miracles like another patient who recovered due to prayers. However, they realized that he could not benefit from the prayers and took him back for medical attention. Preferences by patients denote to the choices that patients and their families or relative have in relation to potential treatment interventions. Autonomy is the right to make effective decisions based on a patient’s preference concerning the type of care and treatment intervention that will help them. Autonomy allows a patient with capacity to make decisions, exercise their freewill and freedom concerning treatment interventions (Beever & Brightman, 2017). Autonomy implores health care providers to have informed consent from patients before administering any form of treatment. Patients deploy their autonomy and preferences in making decisions based on information offered by their physicians and other healthcare practitioners like nurses. Autonomy protects a patient’s dignity and enhances their understanding of diseases affecting them.
In the case, James has not ability to exercise autonomy though can assert his preferences through parents. The parents also exercise autonomy on his behalf. James requires treatment because of his condition and the parents’ preferences dictate the actions that the healthcare team takes (Gillon, 2018). The parents should make a decision on if the brother will donate his kidney to save a life. The healthcare providers cannot make any decision or take any action since they do not exercise autonomy over a patient.
Quality of Life
Beneficence, Nonmaleficence, Autonomy Contextual Features
Justice and Fairness
Quality of life is concerned with the medical aspects of an individual’s life before and after getting treatment. Healthcare providers give treatment with the intent to improve an individual’s quality of life (Gillon, 2018). James’ condition is deteriorating and he needs urgent interventions to enhance his quality of life. A dialysis will improve his current condition but the ultimate intervention with long-term positive outcomes is having a kidney transplant. The parents must make difficult decisions on the need for James’ twin brother to donate the kidney.
The parents have autonomy over the two boys but it is important to engage them so that they can understand the situation. the parents should act in the best interests of their sons, especially the need to save James through a kidney donated by his twin brother, Samuel. Contextual features provide a framework that guides legal and social or familial decisions focused on improving a patient’s medical status. Justice and fairness are concerned with equitable distribution of healthcare resources and equality in the treatment process.
In this situation, James’ parents need to make equitable decisions to save the boy’s life. The parents and the physician can impact the treatment options. For instance, the parents need to focus on options that are legal and lead to better interventions and treatment outcomes. imperatively, they should allow Samuel to donate a kidney to save the life of his brother.
View Rubric Due Date: Dec 02, 2018 23:59:59 Max Points: 200 Details:
Write a 1,200-1,500 word analysis of “Case Study: Healing and Autonomy.” In light of the readings, be sure to address the following questions:
- Under the Christian narrative and Christian vision, what sorts of issues are most pressing in this case study?
- Should the physician allow Mike to continue making decisions that seem to him to be irrational and harmful to James?
- According to the Christian narrative and the discussion of the issues of treatment refusal, patient autonomy, and organ donation in the topic readings, how might one analyze this case?
- According to the topic readings and lecture, how ought the Christian think about sickness and health?
- What should Mike as a Christian do?
- How should he reason about trusting God and treating James?
Prepare this Case Study on Biomedical Ethics in the Christian Narrative Assignment assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required. This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion. You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center. PHI-413V-RS-T3CaseStudy.docx
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Applying the Four Principles: Case Study
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
Quality of Life
Beneficence, Nonmaleficence, Autonomy
Contextual Features
Justice and Fairness
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)
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)
References:
Thank you for your helpful analysis, Chinwe. You utilize the four principles to analyze the case study and then evaluate the case in light of the Christian narrative. You also relate how you believe the Christian world view would prioritize the four principles. Your analysis could be strengthened slightly at times, but overall, very well done!
Medical Indications
Medical indication denotes the signals for or against a specific response based on the recognition of the principles of beneficence and non-maleficence. The implication is that any intervention to a patient should have a benefit and not do any harm to a patient (Ediger, 2015). A medical indication also helps to show the severity of a health problem experienced by a patient. Physicians and other health providers should act with the best intentions while caring for a patient (Bibler et al., 2018). In this case, the physician believes that James requires immediate dialysis, but his parents do not want because of their faith in God. The physician intends to benefit the patient and ensure that no harm occurs. However, the parents also have no intention of harming their child. For instance, they decide to bring him back to ensure that his condition improves. Case Study on Biomedical Ethics in the Christian Narrative Assignment
Case Study: Healing and Autonomy
Mike and Joanne are the parents of James and Samuel, identical twins born 8 years ago. James is currently suffering from acute glomerulonephritis, kidney failure. James was originally brought into the hospital for complications associated with a strep throat infection. The spread of the A streptococcus infection led to the subsequent kidney failure. James’s condition was acute enough to warrant immediate treatment. Usually cases of acute glomerulonephritis caused by strep infection tend to improve on their own or with an antibiotic. However, James also had elevated blood pressure and enough fluid buildup that required temporary dialysis to relieve.
The attending physician suggested immediate dialysis. After some time of discussion with Joanne, Mike informs the physician that they are going to forego the dialysis and place their faith in God. Mike and Joanne had been moved by a sermon their pastor had given a week ago, and also had witnessed a close friend regain mobility when she was prayed over at a healing service after a serious stroke. They thought it more prudent to take James immediately to a faith healing service instead of putting James through multiple rounds of dialysis. Yet, Mike and Joanne agreed to return to the hospital after the faith healing services later in the week, and in hopes that James would be healed by then.
Two days later the family returned and was forced to place James on dialysis, as his condition had deteriorated. Mike felt perplexed and tormented by his decision to not treat James earlier. Had he not enough faith? Was God punishing him or James? To make matters worse, James’s kidneys had deteriorated such that his dialysis was now not a temporary matter and was in need of a kidney transplant. Crushed and desperate, Mike and Joanne immediately offered to donate one of their own kidneys to James, but they were not compatible donors. Over the next few weeks, amidst daily rounds of dialysis, some of their close friends and church members also offered to donate a kidney to James. However, none of them were tissue matches.
James’s nephrologist called to schedule a private appointment with Mike and Joanne. James was stable, given the regular dialysis, but would require a kidney transplant within the year. Given the desperate situation, the nephrologist informed Mike and Joanne of a donor that was an ideal tissue match, but as of yet had not been considered—James’s brother Samuel.
Mike vacillates and struggles to decide whether he should have his other son Samuel lose a kidney or perhaps wait for God to do a miracle this time around. Perhaps this is where the real testing of his faith will come in? Mike reasons, “This time around it is a matter of life and death. What could require greater faith than that?”
Resources
New Testament Overview
View the online video, “New Testament Overview,” from the Bible Project, located on the YouTube website (2018
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Understanding Health and Healing
View the “Understanding Health and Healing” media piece.
Optional – Topic 3: Optional Resources
For additional information, see the “Topic 3: Optional Resources” that are recommended.
Incorporating Spirituality into Patient Care
Read “Incorporating Spirituality into Patient Care,” by Orr, from American Medical Association Journal of Ethics (2015).
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Practicing Dignity: An Introduction to Christian Values and Decision-Making in Health Care
The Messiah
Explore “The Messiah” webpage and watch the video on the Bible Project website (2018).
Word Study: Khata/Sin
View the online video, “Word Study: Khata/Sin,” from the Bible Project, located on the YouTube website (2018).
Read Scripture: TaNaK/Old Testament
View the online video, “Read Scripture: TaNaK/Old Testament,” from the Bible Project, located on the YouTube website (2
…
Sacrifice and Atonement
Explore “Sacrifice and Atonement” webpage and watch the video, on the Bible Project website (2018).
Word Study: Shalom/Peace
View the online video, “Word Study: Shalom/Peace,” from the Bible Project, located on the YouTube website (2017).
The four principles, especially in the context of bioethics in the United States, has often been critiqued for raising the principle of autonomy to the highest place, such that it trumps all other principles or values. How would you rank the importance of each of the four principles? How do you believe they would be ordered in the context of the Christian biblical narrative? Refer to the topic Resources in your response
The four principles of medical ethics are respect for autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. Respect for autonomy is the right for an individual to have complete control over their body and mind. Beneficence is the obligation to act for the benefit of another person. “The principle calls for not just avoiding harm, but also to benefit patients and to promote their welfare” (Varkey, 2021). Nonmaleficence “requires one not to cause harm to another” (Hoehner, 2018). “The practical application of nonmaleficence is for the physician to weigh the benefits against burdens of all interventions and treatments, to eschew those that are inappropriately burdensome, and to choose the best course of action for the patient” (Varkey, 2021). Lastly, justice is the fairness of benefits and risks to the general population. “These are distribution to each person (i) an equal share, (ii) according to need, (iii) according to effort, (iv) according to contribution, (v) according to merit, and (vi) according to free-market exchanges” (Varkey, 2021).
In my opinion, I believe the order of importance in which the four principles stand are as follows (most important to least) nonmaleficence, respect for autonomy, beneficence, and justice. The Christian biblical narrative would rank the priority of the four principles: beneficence, justice, nonmaleficence, and respect for autonomy. “In the New Testament, beneficence is often referred to as charity. Christians are implored to works of beneficence, or charity, by the example of Jesus and to God’s ways of dealing benevolently with his creation” (Hoehner, 2018). “The Bible certainly supports the concept of justice. The real purpose of civil law is to guarantee an ordered social coexistence in true justice, so “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 2:2)” (Hoehner, 2018). “. According to the Christian worldview, each of these individuals is made in the image of God and is thereby afforded equal moral status. Each of them has significant moral status that obligates one to protect them (nonmaleficence) and care for them (beneficence), even if they cannot make decisions for themselves” (Hoehner, 2018).
Hoehner, P. J. (2018). Biomedical Ethics in the Christian Narrative. Practicing dignity: An introduction to Christian values and decision making in Health Care. Retrieved January 12, 2022, from https://lc.gcumedia.com/phi413v/practicing-dignity-an-introduction-to-christian-values-and-decision-making-in-health-care/v1.1/#/chapter/3
Varkey, B. (2021, June 4). Principles of clinical ethics and their application to practice. Medical Principles and Practice. Retrieved January 12, 2022, from https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/509119