Minors have been considered incapable to make decisions regarding their health and have been viewed as incompetent because of their age (Hickey, 2007). Thus, the authority to make decisions usually has fallen to the child?s parents. Parents are expected to make decisions for their child based on what is in the child?s ?best of interest? (Kopelman, 1997).Yet, what this means might vary greatly and can result in ethical arguments as illustrated by the case below.
In Jordan, a 8-year-old girl, Mona, recently was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Parental consent was obtained to start a three year chemotherapy treatment regimen with an 85% probability of long-term survival. After she had been given chemotherapy for two months, the parents decided to refuse the standard treatment of chemotherapy, citing concerns about the long-term complications of chemotherapy. As an alternative to chemotherapy, the parents …show more content…
Parents attempt to act in the best of interest of their child, but arguably fail to do so. With 85% chance for survival with chemotherapy, the central ethical issue is that the decision to stop chemotherapy is not in the Mona?s best interest.
Justice: For each type of cancers, there is an effective and approved standard treatment. The physician believed that receiving the standard treatment is perceived as a right by those patients afflicted with that specific type of cancer. ?A holder of a valid claim based in justice has a right, and therefore is due something? (Beauchamp & Childress, 2013).
Best ethical response: The ethics of care is a feminist concept that emphasizes the importance of the ?relational self? (Ho, 2008). The care of ethics approach will help in the enhancement of child?s decisional capacity, while providing the chance for parents and physician to assess their capacity. This overall will result in attaining an accurate ?best interests?
In Jordan, a 8-year-old girl, Mona, recently was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Parental consent was obtained to start a three year chemotherapy treatment regimen with an 85% probability of long-term survival. After she had been given chemotherapy for two months, the parents decided to refuse the standard treatment of chemotherapy, citing concerns about the long-term complications of chemotherapy. As an alternative to chemotherapy, the parents …show more content…
Parents attempt to act in the best of interest of their child, but arguably fail to do so. With 85% chance for survival with chemotherapy, the central ethical issue is that the decision to stop chemotherapy is not in the Mona?s best interest.
Justice: For each type of cancers, there is an effective and approved standard treatment. The physician believed that receiving the standard treatment is perceived as a right by those patients afflicted with that specific type of cancer. ?A holder of a valid claim based in justice has a right, and therefore is due something? (Beauchamp & Childress, 2013).
Best ethical response: The ethics of care is a feminist concept that emphasizes the importance of the ?relational self? (Ho, 2008). The care of ethics approach will help in the enhancement of child?s decisional capacity, while providing the chance for parents and physician to assess their capacity. This overall will result in attaining an accurate ?best interests?