Review the scenario below. Throughout the course, you will be referring to this scenario, coming up with an appropriate solution, and reflecting on your thinking process.
Your 82-year-old patient is in kidney failure and requires hemodialysis but this sort of medical intervention goes against her religious beliefs. Without this treatment she will certainly die. With the treatment she can expect to live a relatively normal life for years to come. She has no other diseases or conditions.
Part 1:
In such serious situations it is important to have a good foundation for your perspective. Consider the patient’s decision to refuse the treatment and respond to the following:
1.Define the problem using your own words.
2.What do you think someone following Kant’s moral perspective would say about the patient’s decision?
3.How do you feel about this patient’s decision? Should patients have the right to refuse reasonable treatment?
Your assignment should be 1-2 pages and in APA format.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
As a medical professor, it is important to teach students how to approach ethical dilemmas that they may encounter during their medical careers. In this scenario, we will be looking at a patient who is in kidney failure and requires hemodialysis, but this goes against her religious beliefs.
1. Define the problem using your own words.
The problem in this scenario is that the patient is in kidney failure and requires hemodialysis, but this treatment goes against her religious beliefs. Without the treatment, she will die, but with the treatment, she can expect to live a relatively normal life for years to come. The patient’s decision to refuse the treatment puts her life at risk and raises ethical questions about patient autonomy and the role of religion in medical decision-making.
2. What do you think someone following Kant’s moral perspective would say about the patient’s decision?
Kant’s moral perspective is based on the idea of duty and the categorical imperative. According to Kant, moral actions are those that are done out of a sense of duty, rather than self-interest or personal gain. In this scenario, someone following Kant’s moral perspective would argue that the patient has a duty to preserve her own life, regardless of her religious beliefs. Kant believed that human life is inherently valuable and should be treated as an end in itself, rather than as a means to an end. Therefore, the patient’s decision to refuse treatment would be viewed as morally wrong from a Kantian perspective.
3. How do you feel about this patient’s decision? Should patients have the right to refuse reasonable treatment?
As a medical professional, it is important to respect a patient’s right to autonomy and self-determination. Patients have the right to make decisions about their own healthcare, including the right to refuse treatment. However, this right is not absolute and must be balanced against the physician’s duty to provide care that is in the patient’s best interests. In this scenario, the patient’s decision to refuse treatment goes against her best interests and puts her life at risk. As a medical professional, I would encourage the patient to reconsider her decision and to consider the potential benefits of hemodialysis. Ultimately, it is important to strike a balance between respecting patient autonomy and providing care that is in the patient’s best interests.
