1. Prototypes of Ethical Problems
HESC310
4/23/2017
HLTH241
Class 3
Prototypes of Ethical Problems
Slides by W. Rose, C. Polek, P. Butler, H. Brock.
College of Health Sciences
and
College of Arts and Sciences
University of Delaware
Slides generally follow outline of Purtilo (2011) ch. 3.
Axial Skeleton

2. College of Health Sciences
Chapter 3
Introduction
Beulah and Tiffany, OT
Recognizing An Ethical Problem
Prototypes of Ethical Problems: Common Features
Three Prototypes of Ethical Problems
College of Health Sciences

3. College of Health Sciences
Recognition of an ethical question
How do you know if the problem has an ethical component rather than, or in addition to, a clinical or legal component?
Example: Can, must, should
“Ethical questions focus on one’s role as a moral agent and those aspects of a situation that involve moral values, duties, and quality of life concerns in order to arrive at a caring response.” p. 50
College of Health Sciences

4. College of Health Sciences
Common features of ethical problems
Moral agent (s)
Course of action
An outcome
College of Health Sciences

5. College of Health Sciences
Common features of ethical problems
Agent: responsible for choosing a course of action and for the outcome
Moral agent: “person who acts for him or herself or in the place of another by the authority of that person and does so by conforming to a standard of right behavior” p.51
Activity: p. 51 reflection, each group oreports one example of a moral agent in a health setting and explains why that person was a moral agent in that situation
Reason: obviously important
Emotion: also important but not so obvious A
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6. College of Health Sciences
Common features of ethical problems
Course of action includes
Agent’s analysis
Judgment process: choosing what to do
Decision to act in accordance with the judgment
Outcome
We hope that the course of action leads to the outcome of a caring response
As applied ethicists, should we focus more on the course of action or the outcome? Discuss. C O
C or O
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7. College of Health Sciences
Three prototypes of ethical problems
Moral distress: The agent cannot do what is right
Cannot do what one knows is right
Barriers may be external or internal
What are some reasons a HCP might not be able to do what she or he “knows” is right?
Can’t figure out what’s wrong (and right)
Probe deeply
Seek advice
Check your emotions
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8. College of Health Sciences
Three prototypes of ethical problems, cont.
Ethical dilemma
Two or more morally correct courses of action that are mutually exclusive
Common reason: multiple duties
Example: Tiffany & Beulah
Example: Allocating societal benefits and burdens fairly and equitably.
Exercise: Describe a dilemma you might face as a HCP arising from a scarcity of resources.
College of Health Sciences

9. College or Department name here
Three prototypes of ethical problems, cont.
Locus of authority problem
Who should be the Agent to make a Course of action (i.e. analyze, decide, and act) and to be held accountable for the Outcome?
Professional expertise
Traditional arrangements
Institutional arrangements and mechanisms
Authority of experience
Which of the above will result in a caring response for the patient?
College or Department name here