Case Study Healing and Autonomy

Case Study Healing and Autonomy

Answer the following questions about a patient’s spiritual needs in light of the Christian worldview.

In 200-250 words, respond to the following: Should the physician allow Mike to continue making decisions that seem to him to be irrational and harmful to James, or would that mean a disrespect of a patient’s autonomy? Explain your rationale.

James, Mike and Joanne’s son, was brought into the hospital for complications associated with a strep throat infection. However, it was established that he had kidney failure and acute glomerulonephritis. The attending physician noted that James needed immediate treatment to manage his current condition of acute glomerulonephritis and kidney failure, as well as temporary dialysis to help relieve the fluid buildup due to the acute glomerulonephritis and kidney failure. However, James’ parents, who are Christians, do not accept the physician’s recommendation for treatment and opt for a faith healing service, noting that their faith in God will help heal James. The physician respects patient autonomy and does not force the dialysis on James, although it would be beneficial, and allows them to pursue their faith but advises them to come back to the hospital. This leads to delayed medical care, leading to complications and further harm to James. Although James is brought back to the hospital, damage has been done, and a kidney transplant is needed. Mike is still hopeful for faith healing and sceptical about an organ transplant due to his Christian beliefs.

Whether for the physician to allow Mike to continue making decisions that seem to him to be irrational and harmful to James or not creates a complex ethical dilemma. In this case, weighing the scenario from the Christian worldview and ethical responsibilities can help inform the physician’s decisions and actions. Firstly, the physician has a responsibility to respect patient autonomy, ensure no harm comes to the patient, and provide the best possible care that is most beneficial to the patient. In this situation, despite Mike’s decisions seeming irrational and harmful to James’ health, he is the legal custodian and family member who has the authority to make decisions related to the type of care James receives. The physician must respect Mike’s autonomy as the decision-maker. For the physician to ensure he respects the patient’s autonomy and at the same time adheres to the ethical principles of beneficence and reducing patient harm, he must engage Mike in a conversation that aims to provide information on James’ current situation, possible complications, risk of death, and the possible and required treatments. The information provided should also explore the ethical principles from a Christian worldview, including providing details on autonomy and beneficence with a focus on the sanctity of life, love, and caring for others (Evans, 2020). This will help address any of Mike’s concerns, consider his Christian values, and make decisions based on a patient-physician collaboration. Suppose this does not work, and Mike continues to make decisions that further harm James. In that case, the physician has a responsibility to advocate for James as his patient and ensure that he receives the best medical care that alleviates his suffering. This means denying Mike the right to make decisions related to Mike’s health and the physician adhering to the principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence.

In 400-500 words, respond to the following: How ought the Christian think about sickness and health? How should a Christian think about medical intervention? What should Mike, as a Christian, do? How should he reason about trusting God and treating James in relation to what is truly honoring the principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence in James’s care?

The Christian worldview presents health as a gift from God, while disease is part of the suffering that befell man as a result of the fall (Bogue & Hogan, 2022). Health and disease are interrelated and are both a part of man. Based on this take, Christians ought to think about sickness and health generally as a part of their existence. The period of good health should be viewed as having found favor with God. It is evidence that one is well and blessed by God. On the other hand, the Christian world presents the period of sickness and disease as a consequence of living in a fallen world and that sickness and suffering are due to man’s sinful existence. The Christian worldview of disease as a consequence of man’s fall from the grace of God could discourage followers of the Christian faith from seeking medical interventions for their health issues, as in the case of James and his parents.

Consistently, Christians need to think about medical interventions as part of God’s given assistance to preserve the sanctity of life. Although God requires Christians to have faith in Him to provide a solution to their suffering, they also need to consider medical interventions. In this case, they must balance their faith in God and the benefits of modern medicine. The ethical principle of autonomy from a Christian worldview notes that God has placed humanity as a steward of God’s creation (Evans, 2020). Mike, as a Christian, should consider the physician and other medical providers as agents of God provided and guided by God as per his promise to care of his creation. He, therefore, should accept the care they provide as per God’s plan to heal his son. As a Christian, Mike should view the medical interventions provided in the hospital as a way for God to manifest His caring nature and provide healing and comfort to those who are suffering. He, too, based on the principles of autonomy and beneficence from a Christian worldview, has the responsibility to protect the life God has given to James, considering that God has given humanity a free choice between right or wrong/good or evil as well as considering that in all things, to love and do good to self and others (Green, 2021). Mike should make the decision that will not only express love to his son but will significantly improve James’ health, protect him from any more harm and suffering, as well as preserve his life. In this case, Mike will balance his faith in God and the benefits of medical interventions, as well as honour the principles of autonomy, beneficence, and nonmaleficence by accepting the medical interventions suggested by the physicians for James’s care.

In 200-250 words, respond to the following: How would a spiritual needs assessment help the physician assist Mike in determining appropriate interventions for James and for his family or others involved in his care?

The significance of Mike and his wife, Joanne, Christian faith in their lives is demonstrated by their first decision to choose faith healing over emergency dialysis, even though their doctor had advised it due to their son’s health. Religion is essential to many families in varying degrees, especially during life and death, and therefore, all families have the right to be provided with care that is considerate and respectful of their religious beliefs (Camara & Rosengarten, 2021). Nurses and healthcare professionals, in their patient assessments, must help them provide physiological care and thoroughly assess their patients’ spiritual health in order for them to provide culture- and faith-sensitive care (Green, 2021). The attending physician caring for James should conduct a spiritual needs assessment on Mike and the family in order to understand their Christian beliefs and values and how their faith in God is a source of support for the family. The information the physician will gain from the spiritual health assessment is useful in a number of ways. Firstly, it will help the physician tailor the medical intervention in a manner that incorporates the family’s Christian faith. Such care will address Mike’s concerns about the utilization of medical interventions as a Christian, as well as help the physician guide Mike in balancing his Christian faith with the benefits of medical care. The physician will also be able to communicate openly with Mike and his family in a manner that not only helps understand kidney failure and acute glomerulonephritis, associated complications, and risks but also the urgency for medical care and the available medical options for care. Such open communication and helping Mike understand his son’s current health conditions will help him trust the medical interventions and be willing to make the most beneficial decision for his son’s health.

Given that Christians’ decisions and actions are heavily influenced by their Christian faith (Camara & Rosengarten, 2021), the spiritual needs assessment will assist the doctor in comprehending Mike’s viewpoints regarding his son’s medical conditions as well as the rationale behind the decisions the doctor deems harmful and irrational. This understanding can help the physician to further educate Mike on the son’s condition, as well as help Mike be involved in making the right decisions that benefit James’ health. In this case, assessing Mike’s spiritual needs will not only help provide faith- and spiritually-sensitive care for James and his family, but it will also help promote collaborative decision-making. In all cases, the decisions the physician makes and the actions he takes, including advocating for James, educating Mike and his family on James’ condition, and medical interventions, as well as assessing Mike’s spiritual needs, reflect accountability and adherence to professional standards of practice, person-centered care, and participatory approach to care.

References

Bogue, D. W., & Hogan, M. (2022). Practicing Dignity: An Introduction to Christian Values and Decision Making in Health Care (2nd ed.). Grand Canyon University. https://lc.gcumedia.com/phi413v/practicing-dignity-an-introduction-to-christian-values-and-decision-making-in-health-care/v1.1/#/chapter/1

Camara, C., & Rosengarten, L. (2021). Faith-sensitive end-of-life care for children, young people, and their families. British Journal of Nursing, 30(5), 276–279. https://sci-hub.se/10.12968/bjon.2021.30.5.276

Evans, K. A. (2020). Intervention, Ethical Decision-Making, and Spiritual Care. In Intervention, Ethical Decision-Making, and Spiritual Care. https://lc.gcumedia.com/phi413v/practicing-dignity-an-introduction-to-christian-values-and-decision-making-in-health-care/v1.1/#/chapter/5

Green, C. (2021). Assessing Spiritual Health through the Use of Spiritual Health Assessment Tools Indications for End-of-Life Care. The International Journal of Health, Wellness and Society, 11(1), 189–197.

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For this final assignment, you will be tasked to review your work in the Topic 3 case study and continue to analyze the case to best determine spiritual care interventions throughout their plan of care. In particular, the focus will be on the Christian application of the four principles, as well as appropriate options for providing a patient with spiritual care.

Based on the chart you completed and questions you answered in Topic 3 about “Case Study: Healing and Autonomy” and reading the topic Resources, complete the “Patient’s Spiritual Needs: Case Analysis” document in a maximum of 1,500 words in which you will analyze the case study in relation to the following:

Patient autonomy
Christian perspective and actions related to sickness and health, principles of beneficence, and nonmaleficence
Spiritual needs assessment and appropriate interventions for all involved in providing care
Accountability that would demonstrate an ethical manner that reflects professional standards of practice and person-centred care and a participatory approach to care
Note: The participatory approach to care calls for involving stakeholders, particularly the participants in a program or those affected by a given policy, in specific aspects of the evaluation process. The approach covers a wide range of different types of participation, and stakeholders can be involved at any stage of the impact evaluation process, including its design, data collection, analysis, reporting, and managing a study.

Also, person-centred care is “empowering people to take charge of their own health rather than being passive recipients of services” (WHO, 2021). This care strategy is based on the belief that patient views, input, and experiences can help improve overall health outcomes.

Support your response using only the following Topic 5 Resources:

Chapter 5 from the textbook Practicing Dignity: An Introduction to Christian Values and Decision-Making in Health Care
“Assessing Spiritual Health Through the Use of Spiritual Health Assessment Tools: Indications for End-of-Life Care”
“Faith-Sensitive End-of-Life Care for Children, Young People, and Their Families”
While APA style is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and documentation of sources should be presented using APA formatting guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide located in the Student Success Center.