I Believe...... 1. Patient autonomy should stop when . . . I believe it should not stop. The physician can and should educate the patient to help with the decisions, but I don’t think it should solely be left to the physicians or other healthcare providers. Each person is different and we know our bodies. The decision on a treatment or procedure should be left to the patient and if they want their families. 2. Medical research should . . . I believe medical research should be continued. Through science and research we discover new things. Medical Research is not excluded from that. Through Medical Research we have the ability to discover cures or remedies for different diseases and disorders. 3. Genetic testing for the future should . . . Genetic testing for the future is a good resource to have. I believe it to be a good ideal for prospective parents. Some people may have a history of a genetic disorder and it’s a good idea to plan ahead. I have genetic disorders in my family and because we were tested and have a plan for preventative care, we are able to have more of a peace of mind for the future. 4. Egg and sperm donation should be . . . Egg and sperm donation should be available as an option for future parents. There are some couples who go through different infertility problems and this is seen as an option for them. 5. Abortion should/should not be . . . Abortion is a tough subject. I don’t believe people should get abortions. However, I do believe people have the right to make their own decisions. If a woman wants to have an abortion that his her very own decision and she can live with the consequences. 6. Treating or terminating impaired infants should be decided by . . . Treating or terminating impaired infants should be decided by the parents and the physicians/specialist. When it comes to a situation like this, it can be emotional and difficult. The physician/specialist can educate the parents on the impairment and then they can all make the decision that is best. 7. Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide should be . . . Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide should be used as a last resort. No one wants to see their loved ones suffer and if there is another way. Maybe physician-assisted suicide should be considered an option. It’s a difficult decision and it should only be considered for someone who is terminally ill and there is no hope for a cure or any other sort of treatment. 8. Payment to organ donors or their families should be . . . Payment to organ donors or their families should not be done. To be honest, at first I thought that they should be paid. But while conversing with a general surgeon. If people are paid for selling their organs then there is a chance of people creating an unregulated and unsafe market for organs. That being said, I do think there be some sort of incentive given to the family or the donor 9. Allocation of health care should/should not be considered based on a person's age/quality of life/ability to pay I have a tough time with this one. I know when it comes to healthcare, it can be very expensive and for those that can’t pay the burden is placed on others. But I don’t think the decision on who and who can’t receive healthcare should be judged on their age and quality of life and the ability to pay. This can be hard to make a decision on who should and who should not have healthcare. 10. Medical research for women should . . . Medical research for women should be continued. I’m not quite sure why this is directed towards women more specifically, but when it comes to research to help improve the quality of life for women, I’m all for it. And the same goes for men. 11. Health care for minorities should be . . . Health care for minorities should be given to them. As human being we value the quality of life. And everyone should have access to healthcare. It doesn’t matter if you are part of the majority or if you’re a minority. People should have access to healthcare. 12. Those with AIDS/HIV should . . . Those with AIDS/HIV should be given access to healthcare so they can be treated for their disease. It’s a debilitating and scary disease. And some of those who are infected are healthcare workers themselves that were exposed. I know it can be expensive, but those who are infected should be given a fighting chance.
I Believe Part Two... 1.Patient autonomy should stop when . . .Patient autonomy should stop when the patient is unable to make decisions for themselves or the patient is a child. I believe that they should give the needed information to the patient, but I feel the decision is ultimately left to the patient and their family (if they choose to have their families input).
2.Medical research should . . . I believe medical research should continue. But I don’t believe that animal cruelty related to medical research should be done. If the medical research causes serious harm to a human being or an animal then I think that it should not be done. Medical researchers should consider the consequences before they do their research.
3.Genetic testing for the future should . . . I think genetic testing is good for the future. It can help screen people for serious illnesses, however I do not think that genetic testing should be done to decide life and death in special situations. For example, a pregnant mother finds out that her unborn child has downs syndrome and decides to abort the child. I believe that to be wrong, but that goes back to patient autonomy, patients can make their own decisions.
4.Egg and sperm donation should be . . . I believe egg and sperm donations should still be continued. I don’t think women should be paid a lot of money for their eggs. I think that they should be compensated because it is an invasive procedure in order to donate eggs, but I don’t think that they should be given $20,000.
5.Abortion should/should not be . . . I believe that abortion should not be done. I believe that it’s every parents’ responsibility to take care of their child even if they are still in the womb. However, not everyone believes the same. There are special situations where abortion might be considered. And it’s up to everyone involved to make the decision of aborting the unborn child.
6.Treating or terminating impaired infants should be decided by . . . Treating or terminating impaired infants should be decided by both the parents and the healthcare provider. I think when it comes to situations like this the parents should make the final decision. I think that it is the healthcare providers’ duty to provide them with the resources and information they need, but it is ultimately left up to the parents.
7.Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide should be . . . I believe that euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide should only be given to those who are terminally ill. If a person is terminally ill and wants to go peacefully his or her own way, then I think that it should be allowed. I don’t believe that someone who is too depressed to live should be give euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide.
8.Payment to organ donors or their families should be . . . I believe that payment to organ donors or their families should not be done. I think that they should be compensated for their sacrifice, but payments can lead dangerous outcomes. Right now they are able to keep a stable hand on who can and cannot donate. Most people don’t lie when they are donating out of the goodness of their own hearts, but if you add money, then there is a greater chance of people lying about their health just so they can make money.
9.Allocation of health care should/should not be considered based on a person's age/quality of life/ability to pay Allocation of healthcare I believe should not be based on a person’s age or quality of life. Although, healthcare can be very expensive. There is really no right or wrong answer. Nobody wants to pay other people’s healthcare, but people should not be turned away either. 10. Medical research for women should . . . Medical research for women should be done. There are diseases that affect only women and if there is medical research to help find cures, then I am all for it. I do think that there should be medical research for men as well, because there are diseases that only affect them.
11. Health care for minorities should be . . . Healthcare for minorities should be given and should receive the same care as those who are white. Minorities feel that they are not understood and a good number of them have not been able to receive quality healthcare. I think that now people are more aware of it and wanting to change, we are able to help more minorities in healthcare. 12. Those with AIDS/HIV should . . .
Those with AIDS/HIV should not be treated differently compared to someone who doesn’t have HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS can be very scary and people may feel alone. If we single them out and treat them differently, it just makes the situation worse for them. That being said, I do think that we should monitor who has HIV/AIDS and give them all the information they need to protect themselves and others.
13. My opinion has changed on . . . because . . . OR My opinion has not changed on any of these issues because . . . My opinions haven’t really changed. They are more detailed with information now that I know more. But I have stayed pretty much the same. Ethics can hard there is really no right or wrong answer. In order to decisions we have to use the resources we have and make the best judgement.