Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on Medical Futility And Ethics. Have the paper e-mailed to you 24/7/365.
Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 4 page paper including an abstract. The essay begins with a definition and explanation of medical futility, including an example of futility and an example of non-futility. The two ethical approaches explained in this paper are utilitarian ethics and deontological ethics. The writer concludes that this type of medical decision must involve certain ethical principles including non-malfeasance, beneficence, autonomy, and respect for all people. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Page Count:
4 pages (~225 words per page)
File: MM12_PGmdfutl.RTF
Buy This Term Paper »
Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
nor qualitatively beneficial, it is declared futile. Ethics play a large role in the decision to consider a situation futile. The two ethical approaches explained in this paper are utilitarian
ethics and deontological ethics. The writer concludes that this type of medical decision must involve certain ethical principles including non-malfeasance, beneficence, autonomy, and respect for all people. Distributive justice is
brought into the ethical mix only insofar as it requires all patients to be treated equally, regardless of life status. Medical futility is defined as a medical situation
where available interventions will not provide any health benefits for the patient (Jecker, 2000). There are two broad categories of medical futility: Quantitative futility, which means that there is a
very low probability that the patient will benefit from different interventions (Jecker, 2000). Qualitative futility, which means that the quality of the any benefit from the intervention will be very
poor (Jecker, 2000). Both categories focus on the benefit to the patient. This is the key word and the key criterion. This author reports that a treatment could result
in physiological outcomes for the patient but if it did not result in a benefit the patient was able to appreciate, that treatment would be referred to as futile (Jecker,
2000). Here is an example: A young person is in an accident and has been in a persistent vegetative state for months. The family continues to insist the health
care team do everything to keep this patient alive. What is the ethical thing for the team to do? (Jecker, 2000). Jecker (2000) suggests that when the health care professionals
are in agreement that no treatment is going to benefit the patient, their goal should be to withdraw the futile attempts to treat the patient (Jecker, 2000). The situation is
...