Ethical Issues in Healthcare: Organ Allocation - Essay Example

? Ethical Issues in Healthcare: Organ allocation LaWanda Holmes HCS/545 April 30, Louise Underdahl Ethical Issues in Healthcare The concept of ethics comes into much focus in the present medical fraternity. In organ transplant, the basic ethical dilemma normally arises from the shortage of the available organs and this creates a very critical case almost more profound than often realized. In this regard, it is realized that thousands of people across the world are in need of organ transplants. It is not normally a ready affair that those in need of organ transplant will automatically get such organs. The shortage of organs and their donors has created the whole quagmire presently realized. The number of organs donated has stayed constant for a long time while the number of people in need of such organs has subsequently increased over the years. In this regard, the ethical challenge arises with regard to the distribution of these few organs amongst the thousands of people who need them. This is the concept of distributive justice which connotes the process of fairly distributing the little resources amongst the massive numbers (Aiken 2009). According to the distributive justice theory, there is certainly no right methodology that can be used in distributing the organs but it would often be a variable affair depending on the matter at hand. Several reasons would therefore justify a person giving an organ to one person and not the other. However, the basic argument in this concept is the need for equal access of everybody to the organs. In the context of this distribution, several arguments abound. The aspect of social worthiness biases comes in as a challenge in this respect. For instance how does it justify allocating an organ to a patient whose organ had been damaged through smoking or drinking over one who lost their organ through an accident ( Gowers & Wheat 2005). The social worthiness of a patient is therefore emerging as a considerable factor of consideration in the allocation of the organs. In the same regard, another dilemma arises with regard to who should actually make the decision on who should first get an organ. Another aspect of the distributive justice concerns the criteria of maximum benefit. The goal of this criterion is basically the allocation of the transplant on such aspects as medical need and probability of the success of the transplant. In this view, the sickest people and those who are likely to stay longest after the transplant are given the first priority in the allocation of the organs. The core essence of the ethical benefit view is the fact that organs are very scarce and valuable and should therefore never be wasted. In this regard, the basic concern in the ranking of people for the transplant process is conducted on the basis of the likeliness of success of the process or a longer life for the patient. Similarly, the ethical principle of autonomy comes into much focus in this respect. While the allocation process demands that decisions are made with respect to other people, autonomy seems to be ignored in the process. Therefore, the allocation of organs has to be done in a way that gives the patient the autonomy the make their own decisions regarding their health. All these dilemmas create challenges in the allocation process. In the face of these realizations, the policy makers in this regard are faced with the challenge of beneficence. In this regard, in the face of instituting modalities for the allocation process, it becomes important to ensure that harm and evil is not practiced in the process. Beneficence must be at the heart o the whole process. On the other hand, medical personnel are further compelled to address aspects of nonmaleficence. In this case, the process of organ transplant should not be conducted in case the harms or risks out way the benefits to be realized. It therefore creates a challenge in the allocation of the few organs available. Without doubt, it appears quite inappropriate to deny a person an organ on the premise of the risks involved. However, such are the issues and challenges that need to be addressed in the process. In whichever aspect, the underlying fact is that organs are actually scarce and this raises myriad ethical questions which need to be addressed. More still, the concept of justice in the context of ethics has to be ensured while allocating the few organs available. Despite the various modalities instituted, the whole process has to be just and appropriate in a way that nobody is unjustly locked out. In this regard, some of the most pressing ethical issues include: Should a person who had received a transplant in the past be given the chance? Or should the first priority go to those who have not yet gotten any transplant in their lives? Should people who damage their organs through lifestyle choices like smoking, drinking and obesity be considered equally in the waiting list for organ transplant? Should those who had attempted suicide in the past be considered equally with those who have not? What if they do not contemplate future suicide attempts? How do you determine whether a person is suicidal or not? In order to address the above fundamentals concerns, the most effective way is to increase the number of organs available. However, much core concerns abound in this regard. It realized that such methods would go too far to the extent of making premature declarations about death for the mere fact of harvesting organs. The source of organs is normally another concern that raises a lot of issues. People have differing opinions regarding the aspect of sourcing organs from dead people. In any case, it creates a lot of challenges with respect to the source and allocation of the few organs available. Similarly, the aspect of sourcing organs from living people who donated them is also facing a lot of ethical and professional challenges. They argue that the living donations of organs are much costly and are generally physically taxing as a medical procedure. The use of living organs is also seen as a possible way through which people might unnecessarily sell their organs to those in need (Steinbock 2009). Indeed, the idea of buying and selling of body organs is one of the most contentious ethical aspects that are raising a lot of debate in the medical fraternity. Much of this challenge rises out of several issues like donor security and the view that wealthy people will spoil the market for the organs by accepting to pay huge amounts. In conclusion, it is realized that the whole equation becomes an ethical challenge that has to be addressed. References Aiken, T. D. (2009). Legal and ethical issues in health occupations (2nd ed.). St. Louis, Mo.: Saunders/Elsevier. Gowers, A. & Wheat, K. (2005). Contemporary issues in healthcare law and ethics. Edinburgh: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. Steinbock, B. (2009). Ethical issues in modern medicine: contemporary readings in bioethics (7th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill. Read More