Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
Still, the unifying factor that is prevalent in both types of physiologic futility is that there is absolutely no chance of recovery or of beneficence to be gained by a particular procedure.
Due to the varying nature of both forms of medical futility, probabilistic and physiologic, the way medical practitioners should deal with these respective situations varies accordingly. In terms of the treatment of probabilistic futility, such practitioners must take account the fact that no matter how remote, there is a possibility of beneficence to be gained by a procedure which is being considered either by the patient or by his family, and must act accordingly. Therefore, a physician or medical staff should not be the sole determinant of a whether such a procedure is undertaken. Instead, medical personnel should consult with either the patient or with his or her family to come to a consensus of opinions -- ideally with plans for contingency -- regarding whether or not a particular procedure should be formed. The values of all parties should be examined, because they may not all be congruent with one another, particularly the perspective of the medical practitioners and those of the patient's family.
However, for most cases of physiologic futility, medical personnel can exercise the autonomy required to not perform a certain operation that has been confirmed to be useless, if not noxious, to a specific patient. Because of the nature of this type of medical futility in which there is no potential for any beneficence...
However, it is possible for situations of disagreement to arise between family and medical personnel regarding the treatment of this sort of futility situation, particularly when personnel have not curtailed the option for a specific procedure as early as may be possible. If a patient is being kept alive on a respirator with no hope of being revived (such as in a case in which he or she is brain dead), family members may argue that the good being done to the patient is evinced in the simple fact that he or she is being kept alive, despite the fact that he or she is in a vegetative state. In instances like this physicians may have to consult with family members before discontinuing respiratory augmentation (Walker 1999).
References
Walker, R.M. (1999). "Ethical issues in end of life care." Cancer Control Journal. Volume 6, Number 2. Retrieved from http://www.moffitt.org/CCJRoot/v6n2/article4.htm
Nash, R.D. (2009). "On the Permissibility of a DNR Orderfor Patient with Dismal Prognosis." Ethics & Medicine: An International Journal of Bioethics. Volume 25 Issue 2. Retrieved from http://cbhd.org/content/permissibility-dnr-order-patient-dismal-prognosis
Jonsen, A.R., Siegler, M., Winslade, W.J. (2002). Clinical Ethics: A Practical approach To Ethical Decisions in Clinical Medicine. New York: McGraw Hill/Appleton Lange.
Medical Ethics Ethics is a topic that is nearly as old as the human race. Ethics is sometimes referred to a branch of philosophy called moral philosophy. Ethics is often conceptualized as a code or a system meant to categorize or otherwise classify as well as recommend behavior that is right and behavior that is wrong. Ethical codes often describe what right and wrong is in general as well. The practice
Medical Ethics Ethics Interview Medical Ethics Interview Healthcare providers include nurses, doctors, social workers and a number of other professions that seem to exist on the periphery of the helping field. One of those on the outside, that many do not consider when looking at the healthcare profession, are professional counselors. Since the term "counselor" has been diluted by everyone from friends to lawyers, it is unclear what one is talking about when
Medical Ethics How does the study of medical ethics impact decisions in social services & healthcare? In the peer-reviewed Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, Professor Paul Adams explains that social work ethics "…focuses on the behavior required or expected of members of a profession," and like ethical principles in the medical profession, there are "…rules, obligations, and dilemmas" to confront in social work (Adams, 2009, p. 83). By studying medical
In 2004, Arizona's Proposition 200 wanted state and local governments to verify the identity and immigration status of all applicants for certain public benefits, and to require government employees to report violations (Wood pp). Attitudes about the problem have hardened in recent years in some states, both out of concern about the economic impact, particularly in a time of slow job growth, and out of concern about the security threat
If a person is incapacitated, the family should be allowed to make whatever decision they feel will cause the least harm. All such decisions should be underlined with full consultation with legal and medical professionals. I believe the best solution is therefore to firstly adhere to the four principles mentioned above. These principles should be underlined by legislation, and include ethically challenging issues such as euthanasia. To prevent indiscretionary approaches
Medical Ethics Case Study Who Can Prescribe Medicine? Does Jerry's medical training qualify him to issue this refill order? Why or why not? Generally, LPNs and medical assistants are qualified to dispense medication prescribed by a physician ("Medical assistant, 2011). A medical assistant is a trained medical professional who works under the supervision of a board-certified physician ("Medical assistant, 2011). Typically, a medical assistant's work is administrative, but it may also include clinical