Question

Choose an article that describes an ethical dilemma in health care (include the source). Use the utilitarianism, rights-based ethics, duty-based ethics, justice-based ethics, or virtue-based ethics theory to justify the ethical decision that you would make concerning the dilemma in the article.

Answer 1

Article - Ethical dilemmas in the care of cancer patients at the end of life .

An ethical dilemma involves the need to choose from among two or more morally acceptable options or between equally unacceptable courses of action, when one choice prevents selection of the other. Advances in medicine, increasing economic stress, rise of patient self-determination and differing values between healthcare workers and patients are among the many factors contributing to the frequency and complexity of ethical issues in healthcare. In the cancer patient near the end of life, common ethical dilemmas include those dealing with artificial nutrition and hydration, truth-telling and disagreements over management plans. It would stand the clinician in good stead to be aware of these issues and have an approach toward dealing with such problems.

Using the Utilitarianism theory to solve this dilemma. It is a theory in philosophy about right and wrong actions. It says that the morally best action is the one that makes the most overall happiness or "utility" (usefulness). In patients who have cancer and has been progressive in nature there is a huge dilemma related to treatment to bother the patients family members and healthcare workers . To sort this we should thing according to the utility theory . Using resources for those who have higher chances of survival . I myself work in Medical oncology department and I have seen many consultants making patients family members understand that there is very less chance and in case of emergency don't put him on ventilator because it won't be helpful instead it will increase his pain . Rather we should use that resources for some other patienta whose survival rates are more .