DAX Cowart for healthcare ethics - Essay Example

DAX Cowart for healthcare ethics This paper seeks to discus application of ethical principles in healthcare environments. The paper will review Dax Cowart’s case to demonstrate an understanding of healthcare ethics.If I were a health care provider, responsible for Dax’s treatment, I would go against his wish to administer treatment. My decision would be supported by both ethical theories of deontology and teleology. Teleological theory provides that actions should be judged from their consequences.

An act that leads to more harm than good is, therefore, considered unethical while the theory considers actions whose consequences are more beneficial that harmful as ethical. Deontology, however, considers drivers into actions. While my actions would improve Dax’s health under teleology, the motive to eliminate his pain and facilitate his recovery would be positive (White, 2005; Cowart, 2002).An individual’s right to refuse medical treatment, as may be supported by the principle of autonomy, is trumped by ethical and legal obligations that identifies a physician’s duty of care besides the need to maximize a patient’s wellbeing.

This should be the case because a patient may exercise the right to refuse treatment out of uninformed opinion and attitude, unlike physicians’ informed opinion (White, 2005; Cowart, 2002).Even though Dax was an adult with a contractual capacity, the medical personnel were under both legal and moral obligation to ensure provision of healthcare. The personnel’s decision to treat Dax against his will was justified by deontological and teleological theories that promote benefit maximization.

The doctrine of autonomy, however, justified Dax’s decision to forego the treatment (White, 2005; Cowart, 2002).I would, therefore, have continued to treat Dax against his wish. The decision would be justified by ethical theories of deontology and teleology. ReferencesCowart, D. (2002). Dax Cowart. University of Virginia. Retrieved from: http://www.virginia.edu/uvanewsmakers/newsmakers/cowart.html White, L. (2005). Foundation of nursing. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.