The Case of Baby Doe
THE CASE OF BABY DOE
BY
MONIBE MADE DANIEL
MORAL ISSUES IN HEALTH CARE PBHE361 Dr. RICCARDO VARGAS JANUARY 08, 2012
This case of baby Doe was a complex case and a rare one too. It was unfortunate that by that time there were no laws guiding provisions of care as we do today. Today health care managers have more tools in their disposal to help them tackle the challenges of ethical dilemma issues. Both states and federal laws now makes health care managers more aware of ethical issues compared to 1970s, they now closely regulate cases like the one of baby Doe described in page 16 of our text of Ethics in Health Services Management by Darr (2011). What makes the case of baby Doe an ethical dilemma? Before going into detail of the case of baby Doe, it is very important to understand the term ethical dilemma. According to Darr (2011), “ethical dilemmas occur when decision makers are drawn in two directions by the competing courses of the action that are based on differing moral frameworks, varying or inconsistent elements of the organizational philosophy, conflicting duties or moral principles, or an ill-defended sense of right and wrong.” Page 3 Respect for person is treating every person, as you would want to be treated, and from the case of baby, Doe both the parents and the hospital staffs did not exhibit respect for baby Doe because they allowed him to die without giving him the chance to undergo the surgical procedure offered by the doctors. Both the parents and the hospital knew that the surgery could help baby Doe but denied the surgery basing it on the
BY
MONIBE MADE DANIEL
MORAL ISSUES IN HEALTH CARE PBHE361 Dr. RICCARDO VARGAS JANUARY 08, 2012
This case of baby Doe was a complex case and a rare one too. It was unfortunate that by that time there were no laws guiding provisions of care as we do today. Today health care managers have more tools in their disposal to help them tackle the challenges of ethical dilemma issues. Both states and federal laws now makes health care managers more aware of ethical issues compared to 1970s, they now closely regulate cases like the one of baby Doe described in page 16 of our text of Ethics in Health Services Management by Darr (2011). What makes the case of baby Doe an ethical dilemma? Before going into detail of the case of baby Doe, it is very important to understand the term ethical dilemma. According to Darr (2011), “ethical dilemmas occur when decision makers are drawn in two directions by the competing courses of the action that are based on differing moral frameworks, varying or inconsistent elements of the organizational philosophy, conflicting duties or moral principles, or an ill-defended sense of right and wrong.” Page 3 Respect for person is treating every person, as you would want to be treated, and from the case of baby, Doe both the parents and the hospital staffs did not exhibit respect for baby Doe because they allowed him to die without giving him the chance to undergo the surgical procedure offered by the doctors. Both the parents and the hospital knew that the surgery could help baby Doe but denied the surgery basing it on the
References: Darr, K. (2011). Ethics in Health Services Management: Health Professions Press, Inc. Baltimore, Maryland 21285-0624 Retrieved on January 08, 2013 from http://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/tools/princpl.html#prin2 Retrieved on January 08, 2013 from http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2008/entries/principle-beneficence/ Retrieved on January 08, 2013 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justice Retrieved on January 08, 2013 from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/autonomy-moral/