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Ethical issues in contemporary medicine
Ethical issues in contemporary medicine
Ethical issues in contemporary medicine
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If a person told someone that whatever they told them would not leave the room, would that person be able to keep that secret? What if they told them that an innocent person got put in jail for a crime they did not commit? Chuck Klosterman begins to explain that a patient had headaches and that an innocent person was convicted of a serious crime that the patient had committed. The headaches then resolved after getting the truth out to the doctor. The way the doctor responds to the situation is another way of determining what type of person they are, or what resolution of the situation will best respect the rights of both the doctor and the patient.
It also mentions that nothing regarding the job will be spoken. Several other oaths have been created, one being The Oath of the Healer by Louis Weinstein. This oath is similar in the Hippocratic Oath in that it is for physicians who will care for the sick. It is the same it that no deathly drugs shall be given yet differs because it says
One of the main objections to autonomy-based justifications of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) that Gill talks about is that many people believe it does not promote autonomy, but instead is actually taking it away (366). First, it is important to clarify what autonomy means. According to Gill, it is the ability of a person to make big decisions regarding their own life (369). Opponents of PAS argue that it takes away a person’s ability to make these big decisions and so it is intrinsically wrong for them to choose to take their own life.
The oath created by Hippocrates known as the ‘Hippocratic Oath’ states the obligations and the correct conduct of a doctor. It is taken during the studies of a medical student at medical school (Early World History Blogger). The well-known ‘Hippocratic Oath’ is valued all around the world. It details the values and responsibilities of physicians at all times (Dawson). The ‘Hippocratic Oath’ is sworn by physicians as of today and the main principle to 'work with purity and with holiness' (Hippocrates) is correlated to our modern values.
When a doctor administers the process or drugs that constitute voluntary active euthanasia, then that doctor acknowledges that it will end the individual’s life. Knowingly doing this, as a medical professional, is simply willingly killing an individual, which the social contract has always acknowledged as one of the worst acts an individual can commit. Intentional killing is always bad because it takes away everything that life entails, such as the pursuit of happiness and
Threatening to diminish the value of life is very dangerous. Euthanasia, also called mercy killing, is the practice of doctors intentionally ending a terminally ill patient’s life in what is purportedly a gentle and dignified manner. The term originated in ancient Greek and means “easy death.” Doctors perform euthanasia by administering lethal drugs or by withholding treatment that would prolong the patient’s life. Physician-assisted suicide is also a form of euthanasia, but the difference between the two methods is that in euthanasia, doctors end the patient’s life with lethal injections, whereas, in physician-assisted suicide, patients kill themselves with a lethal amount of drugs prescribed by the doctors.
It discusses the tri-relationship among the doctor, patient and the illness that was made. The oath was modernized and became known as the Declaration of Geneva. This shows that the oath was very important in medicine and always played a huge role. A section of the oath discusses the idea of do no harm but instead be of benefit. Hippocrates stated, "Also I will, according to my ability and judgment, prescribe a regimen for the health of the sick; but I will utterly reject harm and mischief”.
I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked, nor suggest any such [advice]...”. In this document, Hippocrates promised his patients that he would do whatever he could to benefit them and do nothing to harm them. This oath was carried throughout many
MedicineNet. MedicineNet, 28 Aug. 2013. Web. 05 Feb. 2016. Hippocratic oath."
Assisted suicide is a rather controversial issue in contemporary society. When a terminally ill patient formally requests to be euthanized by a board certified physician, an ethical dilemma arises. Can someone ethically end the life of another human being, even if the patient will die in less than six months? Unlike traditional suicide, euthanasia included multiple individuals including the patient, doctor, and witnesses, where each party involved has a set of legal responsibilities. In order to understand this quandary and eventually reach a conclusion, each party involved must have their responsibilities analyzed and the underlying guidelines of moral ethics must be investigated.
Steven Hawking, the British physicist asked “We don't let animals suffer, so why humans?” The controversial issues of euthanasia started from 5th Century BC. The Hippocratic Oath prohibited physicians give a lethal drug to anyone, not even if asked for. However, most ancient Greek or Roman physicians ignored. They supported for voluntary euthanasia as opposed to prolonged pain.
Historically, as in ancient Greek and Roman times, euthanasia and physician assisted death (EAS), in all forms, were not only regularly practiced, they were quite common among all classes (Ian Dowbiggin N. pag.). Hippocrates developed The Hippocratic Oath at around 300 B.C. and included the passage that physicians should not perform EAS even when asked. It took until the Christian movement for this to become the preferred method for practicing medicine. Euthanasia and physician assisted death are becoming more accepted in modern times, once again.
The Hippocratic Oath acts as a code of ethics that argues that healthcare professionals should value respect, nonmaleficience, and beneficence, but some of these beliefs and ethics contradict other values such as freedom of choice, mandated reporter, and separation of church and state. This oath also includes the Greek Society 's ethical principles and social guidelines. The social guidelines of the Hippocratic Oath followed those in the medical profession. This oath was a guideline between medical professionals and how they were to treat patients within their scope of practice. The oath highlights most aspects that were expected of a medical professional during that time including having respect for all, trying their best in all their work,
Ethical Complexity of Distribute Justice and Rationing Medicine is a practice based on moral standards applied to clinical values and judgments, also known as medical ethics. Ethical values consists of beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy and justice. However, these ethical principles are affected when distributive justice and rationing of health care resources are implemented “…in a world in which need is boundless but resources are not…” (Scheunemann & White, 2011, p. 1630). The historic Hippocratic Oath described the four main principles of medical practice and established a moral conduct for clinicians. Beneficence demands that health care providers develop and maintain skills and knowledge, consider individual circumstances of all patients, and strive for the patient’s benefit.
All healthcare providers follow the Hippocratic Oath that has been used for centuries to set out guidelines for our doctors and nurses and in the original version it states “I will not give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect”. In the modern version it states “Above all, I must not play God”. Just in these two sentences all caretakers partaking in this practice have directly broken their promise. Also religion and the role of God is completely taken advantage of when the patient decides to end their life themselves. Julia Angelotti’s views concor with mine when she says that breaking the Hippocratic oath is “immoral” and “probably illegal” (Angelotti).
