Case of Madisyn Whitfield

Question 1

Madyson Whitfield, twenty five years old as well as a graduate from the Westa Coast institution is the victim in this ethical case study. The healthcare as well as the health practitioners is the major stakeholders in this case.

Question 2

            Madyson was suffering from chronic inflammatory illness of the gastro intestinal tract. Even though there is no cure for this kind of disease, with proper treatment and care, she would have been able to control her illness through the control of flare ups which are related to the illness. However, factors such as the fact that she was a student as well as the financial constraints since she was uninsured were the core factors that resulted to the failure of acquiring the care that she needed so as to get better and thus her condition constantly deteriorated day in day out (Kozas 2009).

Question 3

            Ethical decision making in the health care system is required especially when the professionals within the health care must balance between the needs and the interest of the patients, the community as well as the association. Thus the health care should have first considered justice, fairness and the health expert ethical values and codes. The current healthcare system is thus being affected by the moral dilemmas that involve issues to deal with affordability, pressure to minimize n cost, accessibility and most of all he need to offer medical care for those patients who are uninsured.

Question 4

            Medical practitioners have an ethical responsibility to offer care for their patients. Thus in cases when they are faced with situations requiring them to make ethical decision, they should utilize ethical analysis systems so as to be able to decide the moral course of action. According to the codes of ethics as stated by the American college of Emergency physician, physicians are expected to embrace the patients well being as the primary professional accountability.

Question 5

            Madyson was not supposed to be put in the position that she was put when she was expected to choose between payment of her medical bills and medication since it is just but unethical. It was unethical for the hospital professionals to practice inequality to the patients in regards to the insurance issues. The hospital professionals should have treated all patients regardless of the fact that they have an insurance cover or not as equals.

Question 6

According to the AMA principles of medical ethics, all stakeholders in the healthcare system that includes the physicians; health insurers, health facilities as well as the professional medical associations should all work collectively in guarantying adequate access to appropriate health care for the patients (AMA 2016). Thus in my decision would have allowed Madyson to stay in the hospital till the time that the medics saw it safe for her to go home to recover.

 

 

 

Question 7

This is the only right decision to take in this situation as serving of patients which is the moral responsibility of the medical providers should be made accessible to all the patients even those who are insured.

Question 8

Another alternative right thing to do is to ensure that the uninsured patients are given the same level of acre as those who are insures as the financial constraint should not be the hindering factor to decision of the countering professional.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

AMA (2016). Code of Medical Ethics. Retrieved from: https://www.ama-assn.org/sites/default/files/media-browser/code-of-medical-ethics-chapter-11.pdf

Kozas, A. (2009) Santa Clara University, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, the Case of

Madisyn Whitfield: Chronic Illness and the Uninsured