Applying the Four Principles: Case Study
Part 1: Chart
| Medical IndicationsBeneficence and Nonmaleficence | Patient PreferencesAutonomy |
|---|---|
| Injury brought about is the glomerulonephritis kidney failureIt is chronic and acute enough to warrant treatmentThe patient was brought into the hospital with a strep throat infection Appropriate treatment for strep infections include antibioticElevated blood pressure requires dialysis | -Mike was informed of the treatment options at hand- As the father of the minor, he has to decide whether one son should lose the kidney and donate it to the other son. The desire to choose between the two options is clouding his judgement. – Joanne, James mother, has not been given the right to choose the best course of action. -Samuel has no autonomy in this case, and his father can decide to donate his kidney to save his brother. |
| Quality of LifeBeneficence, Nonmaleficence, Autonomy | Contextual FeaturesJustice and Fairness |
| -James condition is currently deteriorating, affecting his quality of life-He will require kidney transplant and undergo multiple rounds of dialysis, which means deteriorating his quality of life. – His twin brother will also have poor quality life after donating a kidney. | -attending physician is involved; he suggests an immediate dialysis- The mother of the patient should also be involved in the decision- It is not fair for Samuel that his kidney will be used without his consent, but since he is a minor, he has no say on the matter. |
Part 2: Evaluation
Question 1
| As a Christian, it is often difficult to balance science and faith. This is the same as the case of Mike and Joanne, whose child is sick and need a kidney transplant. They are faced with the decision to trust the doctor or trust their faith in God. The two parents are faced with the dilemma, either to continue with the dialysis and put their faith in God or use the other son kidney to save the sick son. According to the Christian worldview, the most pressing principals, in this case, is fairness and justice (Gillon, 2018). Since Mike has to struggle whether to put the other son through a medical procedure and risk lowering his quality of life in future and save the other son. The patient and the donor is not competent enough to make the decision. Thus the principle of autonomous is also pressing, but according to the Christian worldview, the patient’s parent has to make choices between the two alternatives. Christian has to show love for their children and should act in their best interest. They should not put any harm to their children. Mike may be saved after kidney donation; however, they risk chances that his brother will go through the ordeal of having to donate the kidney without his consent is unimaginable. The question is, do they put their faith in God and hope that the dialysis will help Mike or do they make the decision to save him and put the other son in harm? |
Question 2
| Christians are commanded to act justly, God is described in the Bible to be perfectly just, and Christian should follow his ways. Those who are unjust according to the Bible refuse rebuke from God. Christian must practice justice and fairness in all their experiences and encounters. Thus, this should be a priority in this case. The other principle is autonomy, which gives respect to consent processes. The parent has to decide whether they have the right to make the decision for their son and live with the consequences of their choice. The Bible commands Christians to be free and to make a choice and expect to bear the consequences of those actions (Reilly, 2016). God allows his people to make choices, and therefore, autonomy would be the second important principle in this case. The other principle that would follow is non-maleficence. This is the moral obligation not to inflict harm to others. Based on this principle, no medical act performed must cause unnecessary pain. The last principle would be beneficence. This relates to giving the patient the best medical care. This principle would rank the first for a medical profession, but for the Christian worldview, faith is the most important thing that the patient or the parent, in this case, has to put faith in God (Carr & Winslow, 2017). |
References
Carr, M. F., & Winslow, G. R. (2017). From conceptual to concrete. In World Religions for Healthcare Professionals (pp. 31-45). Routledge.
Gillon, R. (2018). Principlism, virtue, and the spirit of oneness. In Healthcare Ethics, Law and Professionalism (pp. 45-59). Routledge.
Reilly, D. (2016). A plea for relevance to daily practice. FOCUS, 18-20.
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