Week One Assignment

 

Reading Assignment: 

• Chapter 1 Introduction to Ethics
• Chapter 2 – Contemporary Ethical Dilemmas
• Chapter 3 – Health Care Ethics Committee
• Chapter 4 – End of Life Dilemmas

Assignment Questions for Week One:

• Physician Changed “His” Mind – Eye Surgery?

Nonmaleficence

• Ethical principle that requires caregivers to avoid causing patients harm
• Medical ethics require health care providers to, "first,” do no harm
  • In re Conroy, 464 A.2d 303, 314 (N.J. Super. Ct. App. Div. 1983), "the physician's primary obligation is . . . First do no harm.").
• Helping patients die violates physician’s duty to save lives
• Distinction between killing patients & allowing them to die

Discuss the ethical principles as applied to health care and listed above

Each State has its own court system that is very distinct from the Federal Court system. State courts deal with health care cases on a daily basis. If youhave never heard an argument before a court before, below is a link to the case of Michael T. Vandall, M.D., Plaintiff and Appellant v. Trinity Hospitals, a corporation, and Margaret C. Nordell, M.D., which was heard by the North Dakota Supreme Court 12/11/2003. This case involved a doctor making a claim for retaliatory discharge against a hospital and the decision can be read at Vandall v. Trinity. http://www.court.state.nd.us/_court/opinions/20030255.htm 

Give a summary of what you have read here.

What did you find most interesting?

Emergency Care 

Two patients in emergency department in critical condition, who gets treated first:

• First patient who walks through the door
• Younger patient
• Patient likely to survive
• Patient who can pay for services rendered
• Patient with the more serious medical condition