What is the concept of justice in healthcare ethics?
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Equal treatment of equals and the notion that all humans should be equally valued.
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What is the concept of justice in healthcare ethics?
Equal treatment of equals and the notion that all humans should be equally valued.
What is autonomy?
The capacity to self-govern and decide about one’s own mind or body without external interference.
How does society view the value of human life compared to animals?
Society considers human life to have a special value compared to animals.
What are some ways to build good moral habits?
Takes time and practice, starts with small things, requires daily effort and repetition, and resilience.
What are relational accounts of autonomy?
External social structures such as community and interpersonal relationships that can encourage or undermine autonomous decision making.
According to John Harris, what gives individuals value?
The ability of an individual to value their life (autonomy).
What are some motivations for moral action?
Self-interest, rule-based considerations, moral resources, and moral identity.
What is the concept of 'autonomy' in ethical framework?
It promotes a person’s freedom and choice.
Why is autonomy considered good?
It has instrumental value in promoting best interests, intrinsic value of free will for human flourishing, and promotes patient respect.
Who might be considered less valuable based on the concept of autonomy?
Young children, individuals with congenital learning disabilities, and those with acquired disabilities like head injury or Alzheimer's.
What are Kohlberg's stages of moral identity?
Pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional stages.
What does respecting autonomy lead to?
Better advice, better decision making, better mutual understanding, better trust, and better adherence to plan.
What are the virtues associated with virtue ethics in healthcare?
Wisdom, empathy, integrity, justice, kindness, compassion, honesty.
What does autonomy promote according to the text?
Autonomy promotes a person’s subjective best interests, which may not align with best medical interests.
What is the concept of 'information deficit' in medical ethics?
It refers to withholding certain technical information from the patient, even if they ask about it, due to concerns about their ability to handle or understand the information.
Why might patients remain silent?
Due to a power imbalance between doctors and patients, feeling pressured to agree with the doctor, and being unwell or vulnerable.
What are the factors that increase with age in children's decision making?
Ability to understand info, ability to appreciate impact of current decision, ability to decide independently of parental and social influence.
According to Sri-aristotle, what is 'phronesis'?
Practical wisdom.
What are the criteria for a patient's request for treatment to be considered reasonable?
The request must be safe, clinically indicated, feasible considering the resources, and just considering the needs of other patients.
What is the importance of listening and working with local communities and those living with health conditions?
It helps increase understanding of health inequalities and identifies the needs of the population.
What does co-production in healthcare aim to achieve?
To underpin effective and sustainable interventions to tackle inequalities.
Why is it essential to have a coordinated joined-up approach to provide effective support for homeless individuals?
Because the health issue presentation is complex and requires support from multiple services.
What factors should be considered in non-therapeutic medical interventions in children?
Factors such as the best interest of the child, risks, altruism, societal duty, and professional guidance should be considered.
What is 'moral injury' in the context of clinical actions?
Emotional distress that can lead to a doctor opting out of giving a certain treatment under certain circumstances.
What is the value of best interest based on?
Value, not fact.
What does justice entail?
Equal rights, equal respect, maximizing capacity for autonomous decisions, and acting in the welfare and best interests of everyone.
What are the 5 principles to improve health among rough sleepers?
What is the central idea of Virtue Ethics?
The right course of action is the action that a 'virtuous individual' would take.
When may overriding autonomy be consistent with acting in a child’s overall best interest?
Overriding autonomy may be consistent with acting in a child’s overall best interest.
What is the case study involving a 15-year-old Jehovah’s Witness with leukaemia?
A 15-year-old with leukaemia accepted autologous bone marrow transplant but refused blood product support, leading to a court ruling that he should receive blood.
What are the health outcomes faced by homeless people?
They face significant health inequalities and poorer health outcomes.
What rights does the mother have during pregnancy in relation to the foetus?
Pregnancy doesn't change the mother's rights, so technically, the mother can act in any harmful way to the foetus and it'll still be 'lawful'.
How can stuff like abortion for disability appear?
Discriminatory.
What is 'clinical conscience' in medical ethics?
It is the inner sense of right and wrong about one's own clinical actions, shaped by core values, beliefs, and experiences, such as religion.
What should doctors provide to patients to support autonomous decision making?
Time, well-explained information, no judgement, and no pressure to make patients feel comfortable expressing what they really want.
What are the increased likelihoods of death for homeless individuals compared to the general population?
7x more likely to die from HIV or hepatitis, 6x more likely to die from heart disease, 14x more likely to die from suicide, 20x more likely to die from drug use.
What are the key healthcare-based issues faced by homeless individuals?
Logistical difficulties in accessing healthcare spaces, lack of follow-up, lack of joined-up care and communication, stigma from other healthcare workers, lack of understanding and confidence around working with homeless individuals, and difficulty in navigating the healthcare system.
What are some risks associated with rough sleepers?
Infectious disease, substance dependence, assault, etc.
Why is it important to address the health, housing, and wider support needs of rough sleepers in a holistic way?
Because these needs are closely interrelated.
What ethical dilemma involves balancing parental autonomy and decision-making authority with the obligation to protect the welfare of the child?
Parental Rights vs. Child Welfare.
What is epistemic injustice?
Some groups are privileged epistemologically, and knowledge from minority backgrounds is less likely to be seen as credible.
What resources are available to help rough sleepers access healthcare services?
Faculty, StreetLink, Street Support, and 'My right to Healthcare Cards'.
What is the value of autonomy in children's healthcare?
Autonomy has both instrumental (promotes best interests) and intrinsic (essential aspect of individuals flourishing as humans) values.
What is the benefit to measure in Utilitarianism to determine the consequence of an action?
The 'overall pleasure/happiness'.
Why do doctors and parents have no legal power to protect individuals from 'bad decisions' after the age of 18?
Law considers individuals as adults at 18.
What happened to the 15-year-old Jehovah’s Witness after he agreed to receive blood?
He committed suicide at 19 because he could not live with himself knowing that he accepted blood products.
What is a concern for parents of disabled children regarding the future?
Who will look after their child when they die.
What are the benefits of collaborative working with a diverse set of healthcare workers?
Better meeting the needs of a diverse population, improving patient engagement, patient experiences, and addressing health inequalities.
What is required to make an autonomous decision?
Understanding information, forming values, and making decisions based on said information and values.
What is the average age of death for someone experiencing homelessness?
30 years below the general population (45 for men and 43 for women).
What is paternalism in healthcare?
Paternalism is overriding or undermining a patient's autonomy based on the healthcare professional's view of the patient's best interests.
What is the duty of parents in enabling their child to reach autonomous adulthood?
Parents have a duty to enable their child to reach autonomous adulthood and should not martyr their children to their values/belief system.
What did Amartya Sen emphasize regarding justice and health inequalities?
Equal capability to flourish in life, including food, shelter, and decent healthcare for all individuals.
What does the principle of justice relate to?
Fairness and equity in the distribution of resources and treatment.
What do moral rights of the people imply?
They imply a duty by the state and society to ensure these rights are protected.
What should be the basis for 'conscience' grounds to opt out of a treatment?
Moral conflict, such as abortion, not a discriminatory one like race, sex, or religion.
What are the issues in identifying best interests for a person lacking mental capacity?
Difficulty in articulation and expression of needs, the need for health professionals to hear and understand needs, and providing individualized care within an institutional setting.
What motivated both parents and doctors in the case study?
What was in the baby's best interest.
What is a virtue in the context of Virtue Ethics?
A character trait a human needs to flourish and live well.
What does moral permissibility imply about the inherent goodness of an action?
Just because something is morally permissible does not mean that the action is inherently good.
What assumption is often made about people with disabilities regarding capacity and autonomy?
They may be assumed to lack capacity, and their autonomy is overridden.
What has been the trend in rough sleepers since 2021-2022?
There has been an increase in rough sleepers.
What is the purpose of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017?
It increases duties for local authorities to assess, prevent, and relieve homelessness.
How can healthcare professionals encourage patients to speak freely?
By giving space and time to speak, reflecting on unconscious bias, and offering an ally or advocate such as an interpreter, chaperone, nurse, relative, or second opinions.
In what situations is autonomy restricted?
Autonomy is only restricted in situations where people can be harmful to others, warranting 'sufficient harm' to others.
What is the Parental Rights Argument regarding the respect for personal views and values?
Individuals have a right to own personal values and beliefs, and therefore, should respect the personal views and values of others.
According to Ronald Dworkin, what do autonomous individuals have an understanding of?
How their lives should unfold and how their lives should end.
What does the principle of non-maleficence dictate?
That healthcare professionals should do no harm to the patient, raising questions about potential risks and harms associated with treatment.
What are some barriers to vaccination?
Limited time, limited transport, digital barriers, priorities, and limited trust in institutions and experts.
What factors affect equitable healthcare?
Local healthcare infrastructure, cultural diversity and healthcare access, local demographics, and geography.
What challenges do homeless people face when accessing GP services?
The electronic shift from paperwork to online access and the need for help with forms and contact information.
What is the case study about?
A 14-month-old with biliary atresia who needs a liver transplant.
How should increasing weight be given to a child's autonomous choices as they mature?
As a child matures, increasing weight should be given to their autonomous choices.
What is the value of virtue in children's healthcare?
Virtue is a morally desirable character trait, e.g., honesty and compassion.
What barriers do people with disabilities face in accessing healthcare?
They suffer barriers in accessing healthcare.
What is the concern when terminating a life based on disability?
It may reinforce prejudices against those with disabilities.
When do foetus rights legally begin?
Until birth.
What are some examples of racism in medicine?
Gaps in knowledge, higher detention rates of black men with mental health conditions, higher maternal mortality rate for black women, and perpetuating stereotypes that lead to misdiagnosis.
What is the Child Paternalist Approach to children's decision making?
Adults should make decisions based on the child's best interest and it is ethically appropriate to override a child's apparent autonomous decision if it is deemed not in the child's best interests.
What is the Child Liberationist Approach to children's decision making?
Autonomous children have the same rights as autonomous adults, and adults make bad decisions all the time.
What is required for Autonomous Choice?
Ability to understand information and form values.
What is the focus of the principle of beneficence?
The obligation to act in the best interest of the patient, aiming to maximize their well-being.
What are some proposals to increase vaccination uptake?
Incentivise individuals to be vaccinated, penalise those who haven't, make vaccination compulsory, or work with local communities to identify barriers in getting vaccinated.
Are rights morally based or a societal consensus?
This is a philosophical question that prompts pondering about the nature of rights.
Under what circumstances can a doctor opt out of giving a certain treatment?
As long as the patient’s autonomy is not limited, and they can ask another clinician to do it.
What is coproduction in healthcare?
Working with stakeholders using their experiences to identify healthcare priorities and address healthcare inequalities.
What is the impact of epistemic injustice in healthcare?
It leads to increased Covid death rates among adult black and Asian men due to overestimated oxygen levels in patients with darker skin pigmentation.
What is the focus of the 'Consequences' approach to ethical reasoning?
Determining whether an action is ethically right or wrong based on the consequences and the net benefit.
What is parental autonomy?
The right or responsibility of parents to make choices on behalf of their children.
What may prevent parents from making an objective assessment of treatments?
Emotional involvement and personal views/beliefs.
Why is disability considered a social construct?
Because it is only a problem due to society's inability to adequately support those with the disability.
What is the definition of rough sleeping?
People sleeping, about to bed down, or actually bedded down in the open air or in places not designed for habitations.
What is the purpose of the 2018 Rough Sleeping Strategy?
To target support to areas with the highest numbers of rough sleepers.
What factors are included in determining best interests?
Emotional, physical, autonomy interests, family wishes and beliefs, previously held wishes prior to mental disability.
Who decides best interests?
It is not clearly defined, especially in cases where the patient's best interests are uncertain.
What are the 3 things proposed by John Eekelaar regarding children's best interest?
Basic interest, developmental interest, autonomy interest.
What are negative rights?
Rights that involve what someone cannot do to you, such as killing or stealing.
What are positive rights?
Rights that involve what others must provide for you, such as education and healthcare.
What are the potential conflicts highlighted in the summary of the Parental Rights Argument?
Potential conflicts between autonomy and best interest.
What is the importance of trauma-informed practices when supporting rough sleepers?
To support without risking retraumatizing individuals.
What may differ in value between parents and health professionals?
The value of a parent may be different from the value of a health professional.
What takes precedence if autonomous choice will result in death or serious harm?
Basic/developmental interests necessary to reaching adulthood.
What is the relationship between autonomy and best interest in children's healthcare?
Autonomous choice involves understanding relevant information, forming values, and making decisions based on values of information provided.
What is the issue with expecting everyone to act like virtuous individuals?
It holds people to higher expectations than is realistic or normal.
How can language used for disabilities devalue and stigmatize people?
By using phrases like 'suffer from downs' instead of 'experiences downs'.
How should the best interest of babies and infants be promoted?
Promote best interest of babies/infants.
What is the male to female ratio among the homeless population?
6:1.
What is the Golden Mean according to Sri-aristotle?
It represents finding the balance between too little and too much of a virtue.
How does the practice of virtue transform identity?
It is transformed through the repeated practice of virtue.
What does the principle of autonomy emphasize?
The right of individuals to make decisions about their own lives, especially in matters concerning their health.
What were the disparities in COVID vaccination rates across different socioeconomic groups?
Vaccination rates were very different across different socioeconomic groups, with people in more deprived areas, non-white ethnic minorities, those infected with COVID, and those working outside of home for more than 5 days a week being less likely to receive a third vaccine.
How are homelessness and health issues interlinked?
Homelessness increases the risk of health issues, and health issues increase the risk of homelessness.
What does justice mainly work on addressing in the context of healthcare?
Justice mainly works on addressing structural barriers.
What issues are raised by the question of whether Zeno has a moral duty to help Enya by donating bone marrow?
Familial obligations and the limits of individual autonomy.
What is an example of epistemic injustice related to healthcare?
Patients with darker skin pigmentation are 3 times more likely to experience pulse oximeter measurement errors, leading to medical bias in objective health parameters.
What are the potential hidden consequences of using 'greater good' justification?
It could be used to justify heinous actions.
What did the parents believe was better for the baby than a liver transplant?
They thought that inevitable death was better than the pain and distress of a liver transplant.
What is the importance of respecting children's choices in healthcare?
It is crucial to respect children's choices to promote their autonomy and well-being.
What are the conditions under which abortion is not considered a criminal offence?
When there are risks to physical/mental health of the woman/children, or to prevent grave/permanent injury to the mother.
What do parents with disabled children worry more about?
The social stigma attached to disability rather than the physical limitations.
Do dads have legal rights during pregnancy?
No, the dad has no legal rights during pregnancy, cannot ask for abortion, or require consultation before getting an abortion.
Why have doctors been told to integrate patient reported data along with pulse oximetry results?
To make the right clinical decisions regarding hypoxemia.
What is the main concern regarding withholding information from patients in medical ethics?
It is morally bad to withhold information that is important to the patient, and it may lead to mistrust and a breach of autonomy.
How is 'clinical conscience' different from following hospital principles in medical ethics?
Clinical conscience is about one's intrinsic feelings about certain clinical actions, shaped by personal values and beliefs, while hospital principles are more objective and based on institutional guidelines.
What should be considered when parents and doctors disagree on medical interventions for children?
Differing values/beliefs lead to differing assessment of welfare, harm, and benefits, and good communication and reflection can improve trust and mutual understanding, making it easier to reach a compromise.
What is the concept of equity in relation to achieving the same outcomes?
Some people have greater needs to achieve the same outcomes, and equity involves providing more or less resources depending on individual needs.
What does a population health approach address?
The full range of factors that influence a population's health and wellbeing.
Why is it important to provide healthcare regardless of autonomy/background?
Because equal value equals equal treatment, and denying healthcare based on disability implies less value and treatment.
What is the focus of the 'Duties' approach to ethical reasoning?
Certain actions being right and wrong, irrespective of consequences, and following the rules.
What is the focus of the 'Moral Rights' approach to ethical reasoning?
Protecting individuals, especially those who are vulnerable or lack power/advocacy, and recognizing their rights.
How should respect for autonomy be balanced with the need to protect a child from 'bad decisions'?
Balance respect for autonomy with the need to protect child from 'bad decisions' to ensure they reach autonomous adulthood.
Why are parents generally best placed to decide what is in the child’s best interest?
Because they know their children better than anyone else and have a unique love for them.
What conflict of interest may arise for parents in making decisions for their child?
The conflict between what is best for the child and what is best for the other children in the family.
Why do homeless people over-rely on emergency healthcare services?
Due to barriers and stigma in accessing regular healthcare, they use the A&E 3x more than the typical person.
What percentage of the homeless population were UK nationals?
64%.