Overview
For my project, I chose a healthcare case study that focuses on a physician deciding whether to share a terminal diagnosis directly with a patient, even though the family asked the doctor not to. This kind of situation really highlights the tough balance between respecting a patient’s right to know the truth and trying to protect them emotionally, which is why I think it makes a strong example of an ethical dilemma in healthcare.
The professional code of ethics that connects to this case is the American Medical Association (AMA) Code of Medical Ethics. The AMA Code was created to guide Doctors in making the best decisions for their patients while maintaining professionalism and integrity. Its main purpose is to build trust between doctors and patients and make sure patients are treated with integrity and respect. In a case like this one, the AMA Code is useful because it emphasizes the importance of truth telling and respecting a patient’s autonomy, while also reminding physicians to act with compassion and avoid further harm.
The AMA Code of Medical Ethics has been around for a long time. first adopted in 1847, making it one of the earliest formal codes of medical ethics in the United States It was influenced by Thomas Percival’s Medical Ethics (1803) and has been updated over the years to keep up with changes in medicine. Even though modern medicine looks very different from what it was in the 1800s, the core values of honesty, fairness, and putting the patient first have remained the same.
The ethical principles at the heart of this code are autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. Autonomy is about respecting the patient’s right to make their own choices. Beneficence and nonmaleficence mean doing good for the patient and avoiding harm. Justice is about making sure care is fair and equal. In the case study I chose, autonomy is especially important, because the decision comes down to whether the patient has the right to know the full truth about their condition.
The ethical framework that matches these principles is called principlism. This approach is built on the four principles above and is one of the most common ways healthcare professionals work through difficult situations and decisions. Principlism would help the doctor in this case weigh the patient’s right to know, the family’s concerns, and the doctor’s responsibility to act with honesty and compassion.
In the end, the AMA Code of Medical Ethics offers clear guidance for this case by reminding doctors that honesty and respect for patient autonomy should come first. Even when family members have good intentions, the physician’s duty is to the patient, and the code helps ensure decisions are made in a way that’s ethical and patient centered.
References
American Medical Association. (n.d.). AMA Code of Medical Ethics. https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/ama-code-medical-ethics
Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2019). Principles of biomedical ethics (8th ed.). Oxford University Press.