Examples Of Ethical Dilemmas In Healthcare

Ethical Dilemmas Every day throughout the world healthcare officials are presented with different ethical dilemmas. In the case of Jamilah Shah three of these dilemmas arise in the areas of authority to consent, beneficence versus maleficence, and autonomy. Depending on how these dilemmas are addressed can determine any future legal implications that may arise due to care that may or may not be provided. The first ethical dilemma that appears is in the area of authority to consent. When Mrs. Shah first arrived to the hospital, and it became known that she had suffered from a heart attack, the attending physician started her on anticoagulants due to difficulties in communication because of her ability to only speak basic English. When

Shah’s stated wishes above, a third ethical dilemma comes to light with autonomy. When Mrs. Shah’s youngest son arrives he states that he is the decision maker, that he wishes there be a Do Not Resuscitate order for his mother, and that he wants no intervention of any kind except comfort care. Despite the fact the he may be the emergency contact for Mrs. Shah, this does not designate him as the durable power of attorney. There is no information provided that states that Mrs. Shah is incompetent, therefore, it must be determined that she is able to make all decisions regarding her medical care. If the doctors involved in Mrs. Shah’s case act solely based on the wishes of her son, which will result in her death within a matter of days, the hospital could be held liable by her remaining next of kin. There are multiple courses of action that could be taken to prevent the hospital involved in Mrs. Shah’s treatment from being held liable from any negative outcomes. The administrator in charge should be careful to review the medical indications, patient preferences, quality of life, and the contextual features that may be involved as laid out by the attached templates. This can be done by inputting options that would follow Bashir’s wishes, refuse Bashir’s wishes, or to delay treatment for Mrs. Shah to gather additional information and other

Shah’s case it would be recommended to initiate three new policies within the hospital system. The first policy would be to provide a mental status screening so it can be determined if each patient is mentally capable and competent to give consent of all treatment to be provided. The second policy would be to review the patient’s medical chart for any advanced directives. This policy would allow any surrogate to be determined, and any measure that should be taken if the patient were to become incapacitated. The third policy that would benefit the hospital would be to provide an interpreter for any non-English speaking patient. This would bridge the gap in any communication barrier, due to spoken language, that may delay or prevent life-sustaining treatment from being provided. It should be noted that because a patient is unable to speak English, doesn’t mean they are incapable of making informed