IT Service Management: ITECH 7400 Ethical Dilemma Post 1 Analysis

This assignment presents an analysis of an ethical dilemma concerning the implementation of robotic arms in surgical procedures. The student explores the bioethical issues arising from the use of robotic arms, focusing on the potential benefits of increased precision and efficiency while also acknowledging the inherent risks. The analysis is conducted through the lens of various ethical theories, including utilitarianism, which assesses the overall positive impact; deontology, which examines the inherent rightness or wrongness of the action; social contract theory, which considers societal acceptance; and character-based ethics, which emphasizes the virtues of the individuals involved. The assignment examines a case where a patient suffered negative health impacts from a robotic surgery, highlighting the ethical challenges of balancing technological advancements with patient safety and well-being. The student discusses how each ethical theory would evaluate the situation, providing a comprehensive understanding of the ethical complexities within healthcare and the importance of ethical considerations in the adoption of new technologies.

Running head: ETHICAL DILEMMA: POST 1
Ethical Dilemma: Post 1
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ETHICAL DILEMMA: POST 1
Post 1: Answer to the ethical dilemma through the lens of each of the
ethical theories
The health department has developed the inclusion of robotic arms for assisting the
operations after the development of several issues that was reported for the human arm during
an operation. It was developed as a safe, efficient and effective Healthcare service that would
never prove to be faulty due to the performance of micro accurate procedures that the robotic
arms has the potential of performing even on Deep tissues within the body. However several
bioethical issues were found to be seen due to the utilisation of robot arms as it was found
that the process might be entirely smooth but the technology behind the of robotic arms is not
risk free at all. With the utilization, development and implementation of the robotic arms and
the ethical issues arising due to it would be analysed as per the dilemma represented by the
ethical theories [1]. Following would be a detailed discussion of the use of robotic arms in
operations and the ethical theories behind them:
Utilitarianism
The ethical theory of utilitarianism represents the model theory which helps in
advocating the actions that would promote the overall positivity behind an action and reject
any actions that might cause the disadvantage to the situation. It is a positive ethical theory
that places the locus of incorrect and correct based on the outcome [2]. The implementation
of robotic arms Where are represented because it had the most efficient, effective and safe
potential of performing operations even on Deep tissues within the body. There are chances
that it could not be represented with precise perfection if a human arm of a doctor oral
surgeon performs the operation. However if the technology of a robotic arm is utilised in the
same place, There are several types of operation that one single robotic arm can be program
to control reducing the human toil. However it has also been found that there is several

2ETHICAL DILEMMA: POST 1
occasions where the robotic arms where rejected to be used due to the problems and issues
that it has caused. The utilisation of robotic arms provided issues to a patient suffering from
prostate cancer where the robotic procedure provided negative impact on his health due to the
implant of surgery [3]. The overall intrinsic value of the action for the robotic arm was to
perform the best possible procedure for the keyhole operation so that the patient can be cured
of the prostate cancer, but the outcome of the process provided negative impact on the health
of the patient, which means that the process was an ethical to carry forward.
Deontology
The concept of deontological ethics is a concept that affect the normative ethical
theory of an action to be regarded as moral or immoral. This aspect of the action sets its
theory of being right or wrong according to the consequences of the action. Therefore, in case
of this particular action it can be said that the logic behind implementing the robotic arms for
operating the patient was extremely e ethical as it was meant for enhancing the customer
service that would provide the patients with a better and effective way of operation without
any failure during the process [4]. Human hand can be vulnerable to several emotional and
physical issues which might cause problems during and ongoing operation. To eliminate this
particular problem the introduction of robotic arms in in an operation was introduced.
However according to the latest resultant report of the patient suffering from prostate cancer,
it was found that due to the fault in the robotic arm and its programming, the ongoing
operation could have nearly caused the patient death. The intention behind the introduction of
robotic arms for the operation was to ensure that the operation was not vulnerable to general
human errors, but the consequences of the action resulted into the further ill health of the
person and was even close to cause the person death. Therefore according to the
deontological ethical theory, it can be said that the procedure was unethical.

3ETHICAL DILEMMA: POST 1
Social contract theory
According to social contract theory the ethical conduct is represented by the actions
accepted by the broader society for the people who are affected by the outcomes of the
actions. According to this particular case the robotic arm utilization was accepted by the
people within the Healthcare organisation but it was not as much as acceptable as a socially
acceptable format of operation. This is because the primary intention of the hospital was to
ensure that the patient suffering for prostate cancer is treated with the most proper form of
treatment possible from the Healthcare organisation [5]. This is why they provided the patient
with the effective robotic on technology for the operation. However due to technical errors
the organisation failed to provide the cancer patient with a proper Healthcare service and
moreover it was claimed by the family members of the patient that the experience was mostly
and your death situation. It was not accepted Holi by the society and that it cannot be
accepted as an ethical conduct by the Healthcare organisation as the society contract theory
does not approve of this utility of robotic arm for the prostate cancer treatment operation.
Character-based ethics
The concept of character based ethics is dependent upon the virtue ethics rather than
the action performed. It might occur in a certain set up action that the consequences might not
be e positive to the society of the person on whom the action is performed. But the modern
value of the virtue behind the person who is carrying out the action was following the ethical
duties and rules. In such cases out of the character based ethics theory, virtue ethics behind
the action is characterized in a more positive way than the consequences. In this particular
case as well, the real reason behind the utilisation of the robotic arms was to provide the
effective and most accurate way of performing the action of operating on the patient to
provide the patient with the proper treatment of prostate cancer [6]. The hospital authority
was absolutely ethical and morally correct as the only wanted to provide the best services

4ETHICAL DILEMMA: POST 1
possible according to their knowledge through the person or the patient. It was rather the
consequences that way are not aligning to the virtue Ethics of the people in the Healthcare
organisation. In such cases the hospital authority and their intention of providing the best
services to the customers would be provided with an upper hand because there ethical value
for intending to harm the patient was to be kept at the priority in this case. The introduction
of robotic arms in Operation as per the latest technology is the best possible service that has
to be provided to a patient which is why the organisation thought that this would be the best
possible way of providing the patient with the technological advanced solution for the
prostate cancer operation. The consequences was nearly fatal for the person but since the
virtue behind the provision of the Healthcare services was morally correct, the action can be
regarded as an ethical move.

5ETHICAL DILEMMA: POST 1
References
[1] Grant, P., Arjoon, S. and McGhee, P., 2017. Reconciling Ethical Theory and Practice.
[2] Edel, A., 2018. Ethical Theory and Social Change. Routledge.
[3] Grant, P., Arjoon, S. and McGhee, P., 2017. Reconciling Ethical Theory and Practice:
Toward Developing a Business Ethics Pedagogical Model. Business and Professional
Ethics Journal, 36(1), pp.41-65.
[4] Drury, M., Lucia, J. and Caruso, V., 2017. Autonomous Vehicles: An Ethical Theory to
Guide Their Future.
[5] Woods, J. and Maguire, B., 2017. Model Theory, Hume's Dictum, and the Priority of
Ethical Theory.
[6] Sandler, R., 2018. An Ethical Theory Analysis of the Food System Discourse.
In Agricultural Ethics in East Asian Perspective (pp. 133-143). Springer, Cham.