Terminally Ill Patients Ethical Dilemmas

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Physicians’ are often faced with dilemmas that will ultimately challenge their ethical standpoints. Providing care to patients suffering from a terminal illness can ultimately result in the request to end pain and suffering. The requests often trigger very sensitive and emotional issues that need to be dealt with amongst the physician and the patient. In spite of having to consider the patient’s wish, the physician has a responsibility to the patient to thoroughly analyze the patient’s condition. This procedure can include reviewing medical history, treatments, and evaluating patient concerns. Determining the underlying reasons for the patients request is important to suggest alternative interventions. The physician is faced with the ethical …show more content…

Many elderly and terminal ill patients may argue the fact that they have a “right to die”. Many patients have the idea that they have the right to decide when to prematurely end their lives, to prevent any suffering and continuous burdens on their family. Many terminally ill patients suffer from severe depression and thus trigger a desire for death. Patients in a persistent vegetative state or chronic illness do not want to be a burden on their family members. Euthanasia can be considered as a way to upheld the ‘Right to life’ by honoring ‘Right to die’ with dignity (Math & Chaturvedi, 2012). For instance, in the Nancy Cruzan case, the young lady was in a persistent vegetative state for 4 years. Her life was maintained by artificial hydration and nutrition. The US Supreme Court decided not to allow discontinuation of the treatment since there was no clear and convincing evidence that she would want her treatment to be discontinued. However, the court stated that individual states could not ignore the expressed wishes of patient when satisfactory evidence was presented (Chao & Chan, 2001). Aside from the patient the caregiver may file for a similar request to identify alternative options to preserving the life of the patient. The caregiver tends to carry a large burden which involves financial obligations, emotional, …show more content…

Many families are often faced with the decision to end future treatment due to the huge cost involved in keeping the patient alive. Healthcare rationing is an economic strain physicians are left to deal with when trying to provide quality care to patients. Many healthcare facilities are underfunded and forced to cut costs. Many patients eventually reach the cap on health insurance coverages which places them in a financial bind with the healthcare provider. Some health care programs have gone as far to reward physicians for conserving economic resources. Physicians also may feel that they must represent the interests of society in encouraging patients to choose less costly alternatives. Physicians may see themselves as instruments of "bedside" health care rationing. They may favor assisted suicide, particularly for older patients, in line with the beliefs of those like Daniel Callahan, a Director of The Hastings Center, who think that the elderly have enjoyed enough of the resources of society and should make way for the young (Suicide, Abortion, Euthanasia & Life issues,

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