Ethical, pharmacology, cross life and advance (Due 24 hours)

Medical Indications

Beneficence and Nonmaleficence

Patient Preferences

Autonomy

Under Medical indications are vital data in the clinical setting utilized in the process of examining a patient and establishing the level of diseases or disorder and its severity that is related to the medical issue hence determining the treatment options available for the patient. There are aspects of beneficence and non maleficence in the case study “Healing and Autonomy”. Beneficence reveals the aspect of acting with the best intention to serve or save a life while non-maleficence puts more emphasis on not doing any harm. Mike and Joanne who are the parents of James in the case study were acting for the best interest of their son James despite the medical report or indication revealing that his condition will worsen if not treated on time. The parents of James had no intention to cause harm to their son and that is why they returned him to the hospital when his condition worsens.

Patient preferences are expressed choices or options of the patient or any substitute of the decision-maker on behalf of the patient, for instance, parents, couple, or guardian. Autonomy leverages its effort on the rights of the patient or a person who represents the patient according to the relationship he or she has with the patient and is entitled to make decision concerning treatment of the concerned patient as revealed by authors (Beaver & Brightman, 2016). Since James being an underage child of 8 years cannot have that right to exercise autonomy rights, his parents decide on his behalf. However, it would have been good for Mike and Joanne if they had consulted James before making any decision even if his decision mighty considered inappropriate so that they determine whether James was comfortable with the decision taken or not. The medical provider who was present during the decision-making could rarely impact the decision-making but at least he could have talked to James’ parents.

Quality of Life

Beneficence, Nonmaleficence, Autonomy

Contextual Features

Justice and Fairness

Quality of life in the medical arena involves relevant medical components of the life of the patient prior to and post-treatment. In the case study provided, it is evident that the condition of James before treatment was in critical condition and later improved after the dialysis was done. However, James needs a kidney transplant to completely solve his health condition and Mike who is his father has two options of whether he should rely on his faith or allow James' brother to donate one kidney for his son. Based on the first encounter, it is ideal for parents to consult James despite being young and get his views concerning the issue. When Mike and Joanne visited the hospital at first time where dialysis was done, they decided to rely on their faith and the condition of James worsen and therefore they should act with the best interest of James in mind and accept James to have a kidney transplant which should be donated by his brother.

In the medical field, contextual features are fully utilized in the process of determining the legal, familial as well as social settings which tends to influence or alter the medical decision. In the case study, the decision of Mike and Joanne advocating to rely on faith to heal James who is their son influenced their medical decision to seek religious healing. They are still at the crossroad and considering relying on their faith instead of making the decision to allow James to have the kidney transplant through the donation of his twin brother Samuel. Justices and fairness put more emphasis on the aspect of equality (Gillon, 2018). In the case study, the conflict of interests emerged when the ideal tissue for a kidney transplant can be facilitated by James' twin brother (Samuel). James' parents were much willing to allow themselves and other people to donate a kidney for their son but they hesitate James getting a kidney from his brother Samuel.

According to the view adopted by Christians across the world, beneficence is considered the most pressing principle. The reason why Christians find this principle pressing is that most parents are busy acting with the best of interests and intentions in mind concerning their son. They believe that they have enough faith and James will be healed through intensive prayers which they have witnessed from their fellow Christians. The parents, therefore, prefer prayers compared to the treatment of their son because of the faith they claim they have in God. We cannot blame James' parents due to the worsening health condition of their son because they acted with good intention to save their son and when they realized his condition is getting worse than before and returned him to the hospital.

According to the Christian view, they can balance the four principles where the ranking of the four principles depends on the priority aspects. Beneficence comes first as their priority principle, followed by non-maleficence; third priority is justice and fairness followed by autonomy. The reason for this ranking is because, in the whole perspective of the Christian view, parents are required to show love to their siblings by acting in their best interests which are linked to the principle of autonomy. Also, parents should make sure that no matter how the situation may seem to be, and should not harm their children at all costs relating this to the principle of non-maleficence (Carr & Winslow, 2017). All Christians are called to practice justice and fairness in their daily lives. Lastly, Christians are supposed to give one another a chance to show they thought concerning a certain decision which is connected with the last principle of autonomy.