Applying Ethical Principles
Varkey (2021) explains that ethics is both an inherent and inseparable part of clinical medicine. In this respect, a health care provider has an ethical obligation to benefit the patient, avoid or minimize harm, and respect the patient’s values and preferences. To achieve these goals, health care providers apply ethical principles to serve as a guide to make the right professional decisions. Against this background, this paper will use a case study to analyze a moral issue by using an ethical decision-making model. Additionally, the effectiveness of communication approaches used by the health care provider will be discussed. Moreover, ethical principles will be applied to resolve the moral issue.
A Summary of the Case Study and Analysis of the Ethical Issue
The case involves Ana, who is a 5-day-old girl, and her parents, the Smiths. The Smiths are college-educated and claim to have done enough research proving that vaccines have more harm than benefits. Thus, they maintain that their baby will not be vaccinated.
Their pediatrician, Dr.Kerr, actively listened to The Smiths as they described their research on vaccines. After that, the doctor informs them that the vaccines have helped save millions of children’s lives globally despite the controversy surrounding vaccines, thus recommending them to have their baby vaccinated. The doctor also informs them that information on general safety is updated regularly, with this information accessible to the public. Further, the Smiths contend that there is no proof that the vaccines have caused autism spectrum disorder (as claimed by the Smiths). The doctor tells the Smiths that some exceptional cases whereby some children have weak immune systems may make such children not vaccinated. However, after all the information given to them by the doctor, the Smiths do not change their mind. They maintain that Ana would not be vaccinated.
The Smiths’ refusal to vaccinate Ana causes an ethical dilemma. The doctor is in a dilemma as to whether to vaccinate Ana against her parents’ wishes or not, thereby endangering her life.
Using Ethical Decision-Making Model to Address the Issue
Three components of an ethical decision-making model, moral awareness, moral judgment, and ethical behavior, can help address the resulting ethical dilemma (De Graaf, 2019). In this respect, the doctor must be morally aware that the case presents an ethical issue. Thus, the doctor must know that her decision, whether to vaccinate or not, has consequences. By knowing this, the doctor would be led to make a moral judgment by evaluating potential solutions with moral justification. This would lead to ethical behavior by the doctor since the decision she will make will have moral justification and thus be ethically sound (Roubanis, 2019).
As a leader, I can apply this ethical decision-making model in my daily practice by using it to identify any ethical dilemma. After this, I can use the process to, collect information, state the options and apply the ethical principles to the options, and then implement the decision.
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles Relevant to the Ethical Problem
Some researchers have carried out studies that may help analyze the ethical issue in this paper. For instance, Mawson et al. (2017) carried out a study to evaluate the health of vaccinated and unvaccinated children in the US. The study concluded that the vaccines helped reduce the odds of chickenpox and whooping cough among vaccinated children. However, increased odds were noticed for many other physician-diagnosed conditions such as chronic illness. The study thus concluded that current vaccines could be contributing to cases of childhood morbidity. Additionally, a study by Hooker and Miller (2020) aimed to compare vaccinated. Unvaccinated pediatric populations found that vaccination before 1 year of age was associated with increased odds of developmental delays, asthma, and ear infections.
Although the above two studies do not help medical staff dealing with ethical dilemmas like the one facing Dr. Kerr, they show that vaccines are associated with reducing the odds of conditions such as chickenpox and whooping cough, they are also associated with increased odds of conditions such as developmental delays, asthma, and ear infections. In tandem, the article by support the original analysis of my assessment in that it provides proof that the vaccines helped reduce the odds of chickenpox and whooping cough among vaccinated children. This may pressure Dr. Kerr to vaccinate Ana even against the Smith’s wishes. Likewise, the article by Hooker and Miller (2020) also support the original analysis of my assessment in that it provides proof that unvaccinated children are was associated with increased odds
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