Posted by Roni on March 19, 1998 at 15:48:01:
1. Using the utilitarion principle I think I would give the transplant to the 44 year old widow. The 17 year old has a drug history, for the 70 year old age is a factor, and the 21 year old has a health problem. That leaves the 36 year old and the 44 year old. Since the 44 year old has two young dependents who are without a father already, and her work contributes to the benefit of the community, I chose her.
2. The problem facing the student is the fact that he is a student is not being disclosed to the patient. His options are 1) he can follow his supervisors orders, 2) he can tell his supervisor that it is unethical and that he would prefer not to do it, 3) he can try to reroute the pt to a different practitioner. Implications would be that they could lose a patient if she finds out, 2) if he refuses to see her it could reflect in his grades, 3) it may affect his licensure if she complains that he is misrepresenting himself. I think I would talk with my supervisor and let her know that I was not comfortable and try to reroute the pt if possible.
3. I think that in this situation to lie to the wife would be to her benefit. In either situation the outcome would have been the same and she would be left to greive. This “lie” would at least give her a little comfort in thinking that she was there for her husband.