HLTH241Class 3

Prototypes of Ethical Problems

Slides by W. Rose, C. Polek, P. Butler, H. Brock.College of Health Sciences

and College of Arts and Sciences

University of DelawareSlides generally follow outline of Purtilo (2011) ch. 3.

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Chapter 3

I.IntroductionBeulah and Tiffany, OT

II.Recognizing An Ethical Problem

III.Prototypes of Ethical Problems: Common Features

IV.Three Prototypes of Ethical Problems

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II. Recognition of an ethical questionHow do you know if the problem has an ethical component rather than, or in addition to, a clinical or legal component?

Example: Can, must, should

“Ethical questions focus on one’s role as a moral agent and those aspects of a situation that involve moral values, duties, and quality of life concerns in order to arrive at a caring response.” p. 50

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III. Common features of ethical problems• Moral agent (s)

• Course of action

• An outcome

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III. Common features of ethical problems• Agent: responsible for choosing a course of action and

for the outcome• Moral agent: “person who acts for him or herself or in

the place of another by the authority of that person and does so by conforming to a standard of right behavior” p.51

• Activity: p. 51 reflection, each group oreports one example of a moral agent in a health setting and explains why that person was a moral agent in that situation

1. Reason: obviously important2. Emotion: also important but not so obvious

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III. Common features of ethical problems• Course of action includes

1. Agent’s analysis 2. Judgment process: choosing what to do3. Decision to act in accordance with the judgment

• OutcomeWe hope that the course of action leads to the

outcome of a caring response

As applied ethicists, should we focus more on the course of action or the outcome? Discuss.

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IV. Three prototypes of ethical problems1. Moral distress: The agent cannot do what is right

A. Cannot do what one knows is right

• Barriers may be external or internal

• What are some reasons a HCP might not be able to do what she or he “knows” is right?

B. Can’t figure out what’s wrong (and right)

• Probe deeply

• Seek advice

• Check your emotions

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IV. Three prototypes of ethical problems, cont.2. Ethical dilemma

• Two or more morally correct courses of action that are mutually exclusive

• Common reason: multiple duties

• Example: Tiffany & Beulah

• Example: Allocating societal benefits and burdens fairly and equitably.

• Exercise: Describe a dilemma you might face as a HCP arising from a scarcity of resources.

College or Department name here

IV. Three prototypes of ethical problems, cont.3. Locus of authority problem

• Who should be the Agent to make a Course of action (i.e. analyze, decide, and act) and to be held accountable for the Outcome?

a. Professional expertise

b. Traditional arrangements

c. Institutional arrangements and mechanisms

d. Authority of experience

• Which of the above will result in a caring response for the patient?