Case Study: Ethical Dilemmas in Healthcare - Patient and Medical Team

This case study explores the ethical dilemmas faced by a medical team when treating a patient, M, who has been in a severe car crash. The assignment focuses on the conflict between the principles of veracity (truthfulness) and nonmaleficence (minimizing harm) in the context of informing the patient about the death of her children. The case examines the perspectives of the patient and the medical team, considering the importance of patient autonomy and the potential impact of the information on the patient's condition. The study analyzes possible outcomes based on different decisions made by the medical team, emphasizing the complexities of ethical decision-making in healthcare and the need to balance conflicting principles. References to ethical principles and stakeholder analysis are included to provide a comprehensive understanding of the case. The conclusion underscores the importance of ethical values in professional practice, especially when ethical principles are in conflict, requiring professionals to use their judgment or adhere to organizational policies.

Ethics in
Professional
Practices

Introduction
 In a professional capacity a person has to face
situations where he has to make decisions.
 Ethics pertain to the moral judgement of a
situation by a professional where he makes the
decision which is morally right or for some good
(Ferell, Fraedrich, & Ferell, 2012).
 Making the right moral judgement is more
important with the healthcare profession because
it deals with people’s life.

Facts of the Case
Following are the facts of the case
 A 32 year old woman named patient M has been
brought to the hospital
 She has been involved in a bad car crash
 Her two children have died in the same car crash
 She is in need for emergency surgery and is in a
critical condition
 She is hysterical and is continuously asking about her
children.

Ethical Issue Relevant to the
Case An ethical issue is a situation which creates a dilemma
of choice between two alternative decisions due to
conflict between ethical principles (Popovski, 2014).
There are five basic principles of business ethics. These
are
 Veracity- truthfulness
 Autonomy- respecting decisions of the client/ patient
regarding their life
 Beneficencee- maximising the client/ patient benefit
 Nomaleficence – minimising harm to the client/
patient
 Justice- fair treatment of the client/patient (Ashcroft,

Ethical Issue Relevant to the Case
 In the current case, the patient is due for
emergency surgery and is in a critical condition. She
is also hysterical
 The dilemma or the ethical issue facing the medical
team is whether to tell the patient about the death
of her children or to wait until after the surgery
 This is an ethical issue because there is a conflict
between principle of veracity and nonmaleficence.

Ethical Issue Relevant to the case
 If the medical team chooses the principle of veracity
and decide to tell the patient that her children are dead,
it might put her in shock and endanger her chances of
survival .
 This is in direct conflict with principle of
nonmaleficence which says a professional should
minimise the harm which can be caused to the client
 If the medical team hides the truth and minimises the
harm this would be in direct conflict with principle of
veracity which says truth must be told (Brooks, 2014).

Ethical decision making by the
stakeholders in the Case
 Stakeholders are people who are affected by a decision in a
situation
Following are the stakeholders in the case and their stand on the
decision making
 The patient
The patient is in a critical state and is in need for emergency
surgery. However, she wats to know the whereabouts of her
children.
 The principlele that guides this decision is autonomy.
 The patient knows what is rights for her life
 Hence medical team should respect her decision and tell her
about her children
 The patients decision to want to know is ethical (Driesch, 2018)

Ethical decision making by the
stakeholders in the Case
 The medical Team
 The medical team has respect for patient’s autonomy.
However telling her the truth might endanger her
survival chances
 This is because she is critical and hysterical
 She may go into shock and her condition might worsen if
she is told that her children are dead
 This implies that the medical team is in dilemma whether
to tell the truth or to conceal it
 With either decision the medical team would be ethical in
their view

Possible Outcomes of the Case
 The case involves an ethical dilemmaa between
principle of veracity and nonmaleficence.
Following are some outcomes which the case can have
1. The medical team tells the truth to the patient. The
patient goes into shock causing serious damage to
her system before surgery . Therefore, this would
turn out to be a wrong decision
2. The medical team tells the truth and the patient
takes it well. Surgery is successful. In this case this
would turn out to be a good decision.

Possible Outcomes of the Case
 The medical team goes with nonmaleficence and hides
the truth from the patient. The surgery goes well and
the patient later takes it well that the team was right in
not telling her. This would turn out to be a right decision.
 The medical team decides to hide the truth to minimise
harm. However patient dies in surgery. The medical
team may feel they should have told the truth.
 The medical team hides the truth. Surgery goes well but
the patient accuses them of hiding the truth and
disrespecting her autonomy. In this situation the
decision might seem wrong.

Conclusion
 Ethics are a set of governing values which
help a professional in deciding which decision
is morally right in a professional setting.
 However when ethical principles are in
conflict, a professional must go with his own
instinct of right and wring or he must follow
professional policies of the organisation to
make a decision

References
 Ashcroft, R. E. (2012). Principles of Health Care Ethics. New Jersey:
John Wiley & Sons.
 Brooks, L. J. (2014). Business & Professional Ethics. London: Cengage
Learning,.
 Driesch, H. (2018). Revival: Ethical Principles in Theory and Practice
(1930): An Essay in Moral Philosophy. New York: Routledge.
 Ferell, O., Fraedrich, J., & Ferell. (2012). Business Ethics: Ethical
Decision Making & Cases. New York: Cengage Learning.
 Popovski, D. V. (2014). International Rule of Law and Professional
Ethics. Farnham , UK: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.