Dr Miles is a dedicated physician in a local hospital faced with Annie, a rheumatoid arthritis patient who is in constant pain. She is in constant pain, which has interfered with her mental health because she cannot accomplish the usual daily tasks. Thus, her life is not the same due to the chronic pain, and non-pharmacological interventions do not seem to be helping much. Therefore, Dr Miles has to prescribe opioids to manage Annie’s pain. The prescription drugs are helping, and Annie soon develops dependence, which Dr Miles notices due to Annie’s temper issues when asked about her use of drugs and her drug-seeking tendencies. This essay will explore the ethical dilemmas present in the scenario, care and rights-based solutions, and asses the healthcare technology involved using utilitarianism.
Dr Miles is confronted with ethical dilemmas revolving around justice and autonomy versus beneficence. While Dr Miles should make the right decisions about healthcare and withdraw opioids, he is also faced with the challenge of letting the patient exercise their autonomy by choosing how to manage their pain. Withdrawing the medication will violate Annie’s autonomy, but also Dr Miles should balance it with the possible harm that opioid addiction will cause. Moreover, there is a question of justice due to the limited healthcare resources. Continuing to prescribe opioids to Annie endangers the wellness of other patients requiring the same drugs for pain management.
Using Care-based Ethics, Dr Miles can exercise honesty and compassion through open conversation. The doctor should engage Annie in a discussion on the dangers of opioid addiction and other available pain management strategies. Empathy and compassion can challenge Annie to consider other alternatives, helping their health holistically.
On the other hand, the doctor should ensure Annie’s rights are respected. The doctor should exercise morality, as the textbook states, is the effort to direct the conduct of an individual by reason. The statement means doing the best action that can be done while ensuring there is equal weight to the individual’s interests impacted by a person’s action (Rachels & Rachels, 2015). He should involve her in the decision-making process, allowing her to exercise her autonomy by choosing a pain relief strategy that will provide adequate pain relief while also recognizing her right to know the potential harm of opioid addiction. Annie’s rights will be respected, and they will have enough knowledge of the potential consequences of their choices.
The rights and care-based solutions emphasize respect and compassion, overlooking the problems in the system causing opioid misuse. Socioeconomic disparities could be causing Annie to opt for opioids because she is not in a financial position to pay for other medical options. Moreover, it is difficult to balance autonomy and beneficence when the patient is already addicted.
In this scenario, the healthcare technology involved is electronic health records (EHRs). The technology is crucial in tracking Annie’s medical history and progress, and based on utilitarianism, such technology should be deployed to maximize patient well-being (Vearrier & Henderson, 2021). Using the technology as required increases the chances for positive outcomes and net happiness. Therefore, healthcare providers should adhere to the strict ethical standards governing EHRs.
Social technologies such as blogs, crowdfunding platforms, and online encyclopedias can be used to educate people on the various pain relief strategies and the potential harm of overuse. In this sense, the information dissemination will align with utilitarianism principles, emphasizing the need to reduce pain and maximize pleasure and happiness (Vearrier & Henderson, 2021). Their use should be guided by accuracy and transparency for maximum help.
Conclusively, healthcare providers should observe strict healthcare standards for maximum happiness. They should use the available healthcare technology to help patients and allow them to exercise autonomy. Compassion and respect are essential for net happiness.
References
Rachels, J., & Rachels, S. (2015). The Elements of Moral Philosophy 9e. McGraw Hill.
Vearrier, L., & Henderson, C. M. (2021, June). Utilitarian principlism as a framework for crisis healthcare ethics. In HEC forum (Vol. 33, No. 1-2, pp. 45-60). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands
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