Ethical Concerns for John Q
FACTS ON MOVIE:
Family is financially strapped; the Company employing John Archibald has changed its Insurance Carrier while at the same time reducing the number of hours Mr. Archibald works. For this reason the insurance coverage is limited to twenty thousand dollars and the family needs two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to save their son. Mr. Archibald tries to raise funds for his son but his efforts simply are not enough. Pressured by his wife to “do something” to save their son, Mr. Archibald resorts to holding hospital staff and patients hostage in an effort to force the hospital to attend to his son’s urgent situation. Although things work out in the end, the obstacles faced by the family bring some serious ethical choices to the forefront.
ETHICAL DELIMAS
An ethical dilemma is described as a situation where the appropriate response is not clear because the answer does not exist in a rule or policy
Ethical Models and Dilemmas:
For analysis purposes, the five approaches to ethical decision-making are utilized.
Utilitarian approach:
This principle states that for any two actions, the more ethical one will produce the greatest balance of benefits over harms for the greatest number of persons. Therefore, when the cardiologist chooses to ignore the doctor’s oath he swore to, in order to perform the operation on the child, he chose to bring to an end the siege on the hospital for the greater good of all those affected.
Rights Approach:
This principle states that an action is ethical if it protects or advances moral rights. An example of this is when the hospital decides to discharge the child even though his father paid six thousand dollars the day before. This contradicts the right of every individual to receive medical care whenever and wherever needed.
Fairness or Justice Approach:
This principle states that in the distribution of benefits or burdens, people should be treated the same unless there are morally relevant differences
Family is financially strapped; the Company employing John Archibald has changed its Insurance Carrier while at the same time reducing the number of hours Mr. Archibald works. For this reason the insurance coverage is limited to twenty thousand dollars and the family needs two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to save their son. Mr. Archibald tries to raise funds for his son but his efforts simply are not enough. Pressured by his wife to “do something” to save their son, Mr. Archibald resorts to holding hospital staff and patients hostage in an effort to force the hospital to attend to his son’s urgent situation. Although things work out in the end, the obstacles faced by the family bring some serious ethical choices to the forefront.
ETHICAL DELIMAS
An ethical dilemma is described as a situation where the appropriate response is not clear because the answer does not exist in a rule or policy
Ethical Models and Dilemmas:
For analysis purposes, the five approaches to ethical decision-making are utilized.
Utilitarian approach:
This principle states that for any two actions, the more ethical one will produce the greatest balance of benefits over harms for the greatest number of persons. Therefore, when the cardiologist chooses to ignore the doctor’s oath he swore to, in order to perform the operation on the child, he chose to bring to an end the siege on the hospital for the greater good of all those affected.
Rights Approach:
This principle states that an action is ethical if it protects or advances moral rights. An example of this is when the hospital decides to discharge the child even though his father paid six thousand dollars the day before. This contradicts the right of every individual to receive medical care whenever and wherever needed.
Fairness or Justice Approach:
This principle states that in the distribution of benefits or burdens, people should be treated the same unless there are morally relevant differences