Introduction Over many years, there has been argument over the duty a physician has in the war. Overall a physician or any health care professional has a duty to their patients and this must be the same in noncombatants and in war. The struggle can be hard when decisions can be influenced by combat, however health care professionals are advised to honor their ethical duties. In the following, I will talk about the summary of the different views on this subject, how the ethical principles fit in to these arguments, the consequences it has on the health care professionals, along with my opinion on this issue.
Summary of Major Ethical Positions In the case of Gross, who says yes that military necessity overrides medical ethics he argues that …show more content…
A physician duties of nonmalfeasance and beneficence, allowing for patient autonomy, respecting confidentiality, maintain truthfulness, and providing compassionate care (Bond, 2009). A military officers duties of self-sacrifice, protecting noncombatants, serving military goals, and obeying lawful and moral orders (Bond, 2009). As you can see, there are conflicting duties. In war, however physicians must manage the interest of the patient along with the state. When talking about nonmaleficence and beneficence, healing a patient as fast as possible is the physician’s goal during war, so that the soldier can get back out there and fight when really they might need to recover more, this is a conflict with those ethical principles. Another example would be doing no harm, when it comes to interrogations and torture methods this would conflict these principles. One of the things ethical principles strive for is maximum benefit for a small cost, when it comes to war this is usually never the case. Autonomy can be overlooked when other considerations are being looked at. For example, say a prisoner provides information of a plan of attack this situation would be like finding evidence of child abuse, which breaks privacy protections between patient and physician (Upshur, …show more content…
In my opinion though, I do think that military necessity overrides medical ethics. There is no way for health care professionals to do their job under these circumstances. Let’s say, I was a physician in the war, I think that my emotions and the fight in me would cause me to do things that were not under my ethical guidelines. Physicians are put into positions that they have to provide for the enemies and if these enemies know special information than the physician must break patient/physician relationship. The break in this, is against certain ethical principles, with this can come the militaries decision to torture or interrogate this soldier and again another breach is made in the principles. I think that there are many circumstances that will come with military necessity that will override the medical ethics, with this said the physician cannot be the same in war as they are in peacetime. In peacetime, physicians have responsibilities that justifiably reduce patient benefits, but they do not differ with conflicts between responsibilities that may arise in the military context.
Conclusion
In this case study, I have learned that the roles of military ethics and the roles of medical ethics are two distinct things. The principles and their application in specific circumstances will always have some strain that exists.
Summary of Major Ethical Positions In the case of Gross, who says yes that military necessity overrides medical ethics he argues that …show more content…
A physician duties of nonmalfeasance and beneficence, allowing for patient autonomy, respecting confidentiality, maintain truthfulness, and providing compassionate care (Bond, 2009). A military officers duties of self-sacrifice, protecting noncombatants, serving military goals, and obeying lawful and moral orders (Bond, 2009). As you can see, there are conflicting duties. In war, however physicians must manage the interest of the patient along with the state. When talking about nonmaleficence and beneficence, healing a patient as fast as possible is the physician’s goal during war, so that the soldier can get back out there and fight when really they might need to recover more, this is a conflict with those ethical principles. Another example would be doing no harm, when it comes to interrogations and torture methods this would conflict these principles. One of the things ethical principles strive for is maximum benefit for a small cost, when it comes to war this is usually never the case. Autonomy can be overlooked when other considerations are being looked at. For example, say a prisoner provides information of a plan of attack this situation would be like finding evidence of child abuse, which breaks privacy protections between patient and physician (Upshur, …show more content…
In my opinion though, I do think that military necessity overrides medical ethics. There is no way for health care professionals to do their job under these circumstances. Let’s say, I was a physician in the war, I think that my emotions and the fight in me would cause me to do things that were not under my ethical guidelines. Physicians are put into positions that they have to provide for the enemies and if these enemies know special information than the physician must break patient/physician relationship. The break in this, is against certain ethical principles, with this can come the militaries decision to torture or interrogate this soldier and again another breach is made in the principles. I think that there are many circumstances that will come with military necessity that will override the medical ethics, with this said the physician cannot be the same in war as they are in peacetime. In peacetime, physicians have responsibilities that justifiably reduce patient benefits, but they do not differ with conflicts between responsibilities that may arise in the military context.
Conclusion
In this case study, I have learned that the roles of military ethics and the roles of medical ethics are two distinct things. The principles and their application in specific circumstances will always have some strain that exists.