Benchmark - Patient's Spiritual Needs: Case Analysis

Case Study Biomedical Ethics in the Christian Narrative

Christelle Pierre-Louis

Grand Canyon University-PHI-413V

November 1, 2020

Christianity and Ethics: Healing and Autonomy

Part 1: Chart

Medical Indications Beneficence and Non-maleficence	Patient Preferences Autonomy
· Medical indications include critical facts, opinions, and assessment of the patients helping diagnose and deliver therapeutic services. · James is diagnosed with acute kidney failure · James' medical condition is an emergency requiring quick action; · Immediate dialysis is suggested by the physician ·	· The aspect of autonomy incorporates inputs from patients and caregivers while providing care services · James is a minor, and the parents misused autonomy in seeking spiritual intervention instead of dialysis services. · Samuel is also a minor and his parents must forego his autonomy and decide to donate his kidney to save James.
Quality of Life Beneficence, Non-maleficence, Autonomy	Contextual Features Justice and Fairness
· Patients' quality of life entails the principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, and autonomy. · James' health condition deteriorates due to the decision of his parents forgo dialysis services to seek faith healing instead of medical healing hence misuse of independence as well thwarting application of beneficence and non-maleficence.  · Samuel’s quality of life will also be affected if he may later in life have kidney failure, he will only have one kidney. ·	· Ethical dilemma presented in the case scenario is in a religious context. The element of justice is less prominent in the case study. However, the parents' decision to forgo dialysis in favor of their faith amount to injustice for the minor. · Because of Mike and Joanne’s decision to rely only on faith for James condition, now he must get a transplant and his brother Samuel may be the best match. · This is unfair to Samuel to endure the strains of donating his kidney.

Part 2: Evaluation

The principle of autonomy is critical in this case study involving the Christian worldview. When it comes to provision of care and medical services, medics should consider the patients’ interests and inputs, (Beauchamp, 2015). When making decisions, their values and faith concerning the method or manner of providing the care services is important. Christians mostly tend to believe in the spiritual healing by divine interventions. Moreover, believers consider the need of seeking spiritual interventions in some situations that threatens life, bearing in mind that God is the life giver, (Cook, 2016). Most Christians believe in divine healing as evident in the Bible. For this reason, autonomy makes Christians to seek heavenly interventions when undergoing challenges. Therefore, autonomy is closely related with beneficence in which the Christians who are primary caregivers seek healing from God’s, (Meilaender, 2013). It entails prayer so as to end their illness and other patient’s severe health conditions. For instance, James’ patients were happy about their neighbor’s miraculous healing and wanted the same to be done to them by praying.

Consequently, believers usually rank the four principles in different ways. Decision-making concerning various health conditions is important to believers practicing their faith. Therefore, principal ism is applied according to teaching and values from the Bible.

This concept of autonomy is of high rank because it expects the nurse to allow the patients and their immediate caregivers to make decision autonomously in regard to treatment and care. Beneficence is also in line with the teachings Christian about love and caring. When in need of spiritual healing, the Christian caregivers usually promote their patients’ well-being, (Orr, 2015). This is evident when James’ parents render their faith to God so as to heal their son. Justice features which are mostly seen in the Biblical teaching on God’s nature of and His relationship with people. He condemns injustices. Thus, medical processes and decision-making should achieve justice, most so for the patient. Lastly, the element of non-maleficence is of lowest rank due to its basic idea in Biblical talking against violence and causing injuries to others. The administration of treatment and care services is therefore expected to be free from injuries and death, (Orr, 2015). However, it may not be well-applied in the settings of healthcare because of ethical standards which are against intentional infliction of pain and injuries.

References

Beauchamp, T. L. (2015). The theory, method, and practice of principlism. In J. Z. Sadler, W.

(C. W. . van Staden, & K. W. M. Fulford (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of psychiatric

ethics., Vol. 1. (pp. 405–422). Oxford University Press.

Cook, M. (2016). Adventures on the dark side | Australasian Science Magazine. Australian Science. http://www.australasianscience.com.au/article/issue-may-2016/adventures-dark-side.html

Meilaender, G. (2013). Bioethics: A primer for Christians (3rd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. https://search-ebscohost-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=98849785&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Orr, R. D. (2015, May 1). Incorporating spirituality into patient care. Journal of Ethics | American Medical Association. https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/incorporating-spirituality-patient-care/2015-05