Healthcare Ethics: Ethical Theory Matrix and Analysis

This document presents an ethical theory matrix, designed to analyze and compare various ethical frameworks within the context of healthcare decision-making. The matrix explores four key ethical theories: Utilitarianism, Kantian Ethics, Ross's Prima Facie Duties, and Natural Law Ethics. Each theory is examined in terms of its decision-making criteria, strengths, and weaknesses, with a specific healthcare scenario involving a patient with advanced cancer serving as a case study. The analysis considers how each ethical framework would approach the decision of whether to administer intensive treatment or palliative care. By evaluating each theory's rationale, the matrix aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complexities and ethical considerations involved in healthcare practice, offering a valuable resource for students studying medical ethics and related fields. This assignment is contributed to Desklib, a platform providing AI-based study tools for students.

Ethical Theory Matrix
Theory Decision Criteria Your
Own
Example
Strengths Weaknesses
Utilitarianism The decision
making process is
governed by the
anticipated
outcomes or
consequences.
The decision
making criteria is
the greatest
benefit that can be
derived from
making a certain
decision.
A patient
diagnosed
with
advanced
cancer and
has no
more than
five years
to live.
According
to the
utilitarian
theory,
more good
would be
derived if
the
individual
is not
subjected
to
intensive
treatment;
instead, he
or she
undergoes
palliative
care to
relieve
pain
during the
illness
period.
The rationale for
action is direct
without a conflicting
domain: utility or
greatest amount of
benefit from a
decision and
associated action.
1. Overlooks
one’s
obligations to
the subject.
2. Only considers
that which is
good as long as
it can yield
pleasure; yet,
sometimes an
action is also
good, even if
there is no
pleasure
derived from
it.
3. The value of
phenomenon is
not accurate
because the
value time,
life, and
dignity cannot
be measured.
Kantian
Ethics
Categorical
imperative of
what is right or
wrong.
In the case
of the
newly
diagnosed
cancer
patient in
the
1. Objectivity of
the categorical
imperative
philosophy
erases any
subjective
desire to do
a. Nurses’ action
are not flexible
because they
are based on a
set of rules.
b. Duty comes
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advanced
stage, the
Kantian
ethics
dictate
that nurses
should
commence
treatment
with a
curative
goal even
if the
nurses
know well
that it is a
waste of
time and
resources.
things
differently.
first even if it
yields negative
outcomes.
Ross’s Ethics Prima facie
duties, which
include:
a. One’s duty
of fidelity
b. Duty of
gratitude
c. Duty to
mend
previous
wrongs
d. Duty of
non-
maleficenc
e
e. Duty to
promote
goodness
to others
f. Duty of
justice
g. Duty to
prevent
In the case
above, the
different
duties
require the
burse to
act in the
best
interests
of the
patient
while also
factoring
in the
goodness
that would
be
realized
by the
general
society.
a. The best
theory to
apply in case
of conflicting
situations
because it is
not absolute
and tends to
take on a
holistic
approach to
attain the
greatest good
out of a
situation.
a. Intuitive
knowledge is
never
complete;
hence, there
might be more
and better
prima facie
duties than can
be found on
Ross’s list.
b. Application of
the prima facie
duties is
subjective and
different
people might
have different
views on how
to go about
solving a
dilemma.
c. Does not give
an absolute
right answer as
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harm
h. Duty to
attain self-
improvem
ent
a moral theory.
Natural Law
Ethics
a. Human
nature
b. Laws
In the case
above, the
right thing
to do is
administer
treatment
even if it
is not
expected
to produce
positive
results.
a. Based on
objective
reason.
b. Upholds
human rights.
a. Difficult to
apply on
complex
situations
because human
nature is
corrupt.
b. Doing what is
morally good
is more
important
regardless of
the means and
associated
processes.
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