Medical science has only begun to become ethical. In early medical studies, scientists and doctors were able to perform, what we would call today, torturous experiments on people without permission or informed consent. Unfortunately without these hideous experiments or controversial studies, we would not have been able to cure or treat people with a deadly disease. The movie, Lorenzo’s Oil, displays the four ethical theories and highlights some of the ethical principles while lacking others. This movie shows that successful science does not always play by the rules.
In health care ethics, there are four major theories Deontological, Divine Command, Teleological, and Virtue. Deontological is also known as the Duty-Oriented System. This …show more content…
This system holds that the right thing to do in the end is the good thing to do. One who uses this system will examine the consequences and perform the right action that maximizes good (Edge and Groves, 2007). Based off of the definition above, an example of this theory in the movie is Lorenzo’s situation overall. His parents put him into an experimental program because even though the doctors raise his fat levels, the program was the best thing for Lorenzo and his family given the other alternatives. The last ethical theory is called Virtue. This way of thinking is based on an individual as a good person or a role with specific duties (Edge and Groves, 2007). In other words, each profession in healthcare has a set of virtues that the professional can adopt in practice (Edge and Groves, 2007). In the movie, this theory is displayed when the doctors are presented. The doctors actively display their virtues by helping student doctors learn about the disease, being honest with the parents about the situation, and being neutral when the parents start to fight back. Another secondary character, Lorenzo’s friend from Africa, shows Virtue. Lorenzo’s friend does not run or criticizes Lorenzo’s situation instead he begins to take care of him. This shows that his friend is an overall good person; he has …show more content…
The ethical principle autonomy was lightly established throughout the movie. An example of this is when the doctor prescribes they perform chemotherapy on Lorenzo; the doctor asks for permission if it is ok to do so. The ethical principle nonmaleficence was strongly established throughout the movie because there were no scenes in which Lorenzo or any of the patients were harmed. The principle role fidelity was strong as well. For example, none of the doctors dared to look outside their scope, even the other ALD parents remained in their “scope of practice”, but that comprised the search for the treatment of
In health care ethics, there are four major theories Deontological, Divine Command, Teleological, and Virtue. Deontological is also known as the Duty-Oriented System. This …show more content…
This system holds that the right thing to do in the end is the good thing to do. One who uses this system will examine the consequences and perform the right action that maximizes good (Edge and Groves, 2007). Based off of the definition above, an example of this theory in the movie is Lorenzo’s situation overall. His parents put him into an experimental program because even though the doctors raise his fat levels, the program was the best thing for Lorenzo and his family given the other alternatives. The last ethical theory is called Virtue. This way of thinking is based on an individual as a good person or a role with specific duties (Edge and Groves, 2007). In other words, each profession in healthcare has a set of virtues that the professional can adopt in practice (Edge and Groves, 2007). In the movie, this theory is displayed when the doctors are presented. The doctors actively display their virtues by helping student doctors learn about the disease, being honest with the parents about the situation, and being neutral when the parents start to fight back. Another secondary character, Lorenzo’s friend from Africa, shows Virtue. Lorenzo’s friend does not run or criticizes Lorenzo’s situation instead he begins to take care of him. This shows that his friend is an overall good person; he has …show more content…
The ethical principle autonomy was lightly established throughout the movie. An example of this is when the doctor prescribes they perform chemotherapy on Lorenzo; the doctor asks for permission if it is ok to do so. The ethical principle nonmaleficence was strongly established throughout the movie because there were no scenes in which Lorenzo or any of the patients were harmed. The principle role fidelity was strong as well. For example, none of the doctors dared to look outside their scope, even the other ALD parents remained in their “scope of practice”, but that comprised the search for the treatment of