Healing And Autonomy: The Most Pressing Issues (Case Study Sample)

write a 1,200-1,500 word analysis of “Case Study: Healing and Autonomy.” In light of the readings, be sure to address the following questions:
Under the Christian narrative and Christian vision, what sorts of issues are most pressing in this case study?
Should the physician allow Mike to continue making decisions that seem to him to be irrational and harmful to James?
According to the Christian narrative and the discussion of the issues of treatment refusal, patient autonomy, and organ donation in the topic readings, how might one analyze this case?
According to the topic readings and lecture, how ought the Christian think about sickness and health? What should Mike as a Christian do? How should he reason about trusting God and treating James?
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA
Case Study: Healing and Autonomy
Mike and Joanne are the parents of James and Samuel, identical twins born eight years ago. James is currently suffering from acute glomerulonephritis, kidney failure. James was originally brought into the hospital for complications associated with a strep throat infection. The spread of the A streptococcus infection led to the subsequent kidney failure. James’ condition was acute enough to warrant immediate treatment. Usually cases of acute glomerulonephritis caused by strep infection tend to improve on their own, or with an antibiotic. However, James also had elevated blood pressure and enough fluid buildup that required temporary dialysis to relieve.
The attending physician suggested immediate dialysis. After some time of discussion with Joanne, Mike informs the physician that they are going to forego the dialysis and place their faith in God. Mike and Joanne had been moved by a sermon their pastor had given a week ago, and also had witnessed a close friend regain mobility when she was prayed over at a healing service after a serious stroke. They thought it more prudent to take James immediately to a faith healing service instead of putting James through multiple rounds of dialysis. Yet Mike and Joanne agreed to return to the hospital after the faith healing services later in the week, and in hopes that James would be healed by then.Healing And Autonomy Essay.
Two days later the family returned, and was forced to place James on dialysis, as his condition had deteriorated. Mike felt perplexed and tormented by his decision to not treat James earlier. Had he not enough faith? Was God punishing him or James? To make matters worse, James kidneys had deteriorated such that his dialysis was now not a temporary matter, and was in need of a kidney transplant. Crushed and desperate, Mike and Joanne immediately offered to donate one of their own kidneys to James, but they were not compatible donors. Over the next few weeks, amidst daily rounds of dialysis, some of their close friends and church members also offered to donate a kidney to James. However, none of them were tissue matches.
James’ nephrologist called to schedule a private appointment with Mike and Joanne. James was stable, given the regular dialysis, but would require a kidney transplant within the year. Given the desperate situation, the nephrologist informed Mike and Joanne of a donor that was an ideal tissue match, but as of yet had not been considered—James’ brother Samuel.Healing And Autonomy Essay.
Mike vacillates and struggles to decide whether he should have his other son Samuel lose a kidney, or perhaps wait for God to do a miracle this time around. Perhaps this is where the real testing of his faith will come in? “This time around, it is a matter of life and death, what could require greater faith than that?” Mike reasons.Healing And Autonomy Essay.

Introduction

The case study at hand evaluates the decisions made by Mike and Joanne in the perspective of medical intervention to their son James. Mike’s decisions in delaying James’s treatment are analyzed in Christian faith’s context. Furthermore, the future actions taken by the couples are examined in terms of Christian faith and beliefs (Hamlin, 2009). Besides, issues related to rationality are also emphasized, Christian vision concerning the autonomy of the patient, kidney transplant, right of denying treatment among others (Ferngen, 2009).Healing And Autonomy Essay.

Under the Christian narrative and Christian vision, what sorts of issues are most pressing in this case study?

The most pressing issue which James and Joanne are facing is believing in the spiritual healing and health from God. According to Christian view of healing, the ultimate healing comes from the will of God. Christians have several beliefs in their journey of faith such as prayer, fasting, anointing of oil and healing. They belief that God blesses the process of anointing of oils which assists in the healing process when placed on the believers. As seen in the case study, Mike and Joanne decides to prolong James’s dialysis by placing their faith in the healing power of God. Witnessing one of their friends receive Christian healing from stroke is one of the reasons why the couples decides to put their trust in healing from God. The healing gave James and Joanne hope that their son will soon get well by throwing their faith and trust in God. However, the healing service attended by the parents did not act immediately to heal their son and instead James’s condition become worse than before.

Should the physician allow Mike to continue making decisions that seem to him be irrational and harmful to James?

The Physician needs to advice James that the decisions He is making are irrational and harmful to the son. The physician is much aware of the James complications and knows that the child will require a kidney transplant within a period of one year or less. Failure to do that the nephrologists knows the consequences that may befall on James. Therefore, given the expertise and wealth of experience in the field, the nephrologist needs to take further actions in saving the life of James. Although God is the one who heals, what the couples failed to understand is the phrase that “God helps one who has helped himself.” The phrase implies that God heals one who has sought medical intervention. As a result, the physician needs to inform the couples that they need to seek medical assistance of their child and then place the rest of the trust on God for healing.Healing And Autonomy Essay.

According to Hastie & Dawes (2010), there are number of factors which limits a person’s ability to make rational decisions. First, instead of performing analysis of all available alternatives, human beings tend to evaluate a limited number of options at a time and this is seen by James and Joanne when they decide to try God’s healing first. Second, instead of doing simultaneous analysis of options, people will opt sequential analysis which is dangerous. In the process of performing sequential analysis, human beings will select the option which they perceive is going to provide a satisfactory outcome. According to James’s parents, it is spiritual healing which brings a satisfactory result to them that is why they first foregoes medical dialysis to spiritual intervention. Third, choice evaluation is significantly influenced by previous experiences. In this case, the spiritual healing of the patient suffering from stroke influences the parents to forego clinical treatment for spiritual healing. Fourth, the patients and their relatives often perceive the information evaluating clinical practices and results as imprecise and uncertain. For this reason, the parents of the kid do not want to rely on clinical treatment as their first option.

The patients and their relatives often experience challenges because most of the times their choices are not based on the scientific concepts of rationality. However, for the case of physicians is a different case because they are educated people and make their choices on scientific facts. The physician is able to utilize the rational-choice model in analysis making decisions. As a consequence, the physician in this case study should apply the rationale-choice model in analyzing the harmful effects associated with Mike’s decision and advise him to change for the better.Healing And Autonomy Essay.

According to the Christian narrative and the discussion of the issues of treatment refusal, patient autonomy, and organ donation in the topic readings, how might one analyze this case?

Presently, religion is viewed as a crucial aspect in human life. It is related to the capacity of human beings for self-existence in everyday life because it gives life its meaning as well as the fulfillment of human desires. Consequently, if religion is to entail day to day lived experience of human beings, then Christianity will also get involved in science and medicine. The application of the concept is mostly relevant in bioethics where science and medicine is applied in manipulation of various biological processes. This controversial issue has been challenging to the field of religion regarding the view on value and meaning. Patient autonomy is a branch of medicine involving information of informed decisions made by a competent individual. In our case, the informed decisions are made by Mike on the behalf of James, his child. The discipline offers consent to specific decisions made by the patient which brings the focus of medicine to the sick person instead of pathology. Therefore, it is extremely difficult for physicians to go against the principles of autonomy (Ladin, 2016).

In the case study we see Mike refusing dialysis and opting to go for spiritual healing. However, according to autonomy, the nephrologist should give information to the patient on the dangers associated with the refusal. The physician accords respect to the autonomy of James because they are not forced in choosing the spiritual healing bearing in mind that there are risks associated with the choice. As a result, on the basis of the Christian narrative concerning the autonomy of the patient, treatment refusal, and organ transplantation, a choice is available and valuable. Therefore, human beings have the freedom in making their own decisions. However, in case the decisions they make are not viable, they should be prepared to meet the repercussions. People have the right of freely making their own choices because God created us and gave us the capability of making free decisions, and thus a doctor has no powers to deny the patient the rights.Healing And Autonomy Essay.

According to the topic readings and lecture, how ought the Christian to think about sicknesses and health? What should Mike as a Christian do? How should he reason about trusting God and treating James?

There is a difference between how Christians view diseases and health and the view of physicians regarding the same. The family of Mike and Joanne is staunch on matters to do with Christianity and religion. Therefore, we can easily conclude that they view sickness from the perspective of Christianity. Different denominations compose the Christian faith and thus every single denomination has a unique view on matters relating health and sickness. According to some Christians diseases arise as a result of God’s temptations while for others, it is a punishment for the sins committed before. Mike’s family views sickness as God’s test of faith. Contrary, there are group of Christians with the belief that doctors are sent by God to help in the elimination of sicknesses on earth. According to such Christians diseases should be treated because they interfere with the normal functioning of the body.Healing And Autonomy Essay.

Although it is good for Mike to remain vigilant in his faith, he should allow his son to undergo dialysis because the medical intervention services offered by the doctors helps in quick healing. He should allow the doctors give their best in terms of dialysis and only pray for God’s miracle to happen through the medical treatment offered by the doctors. He should understand the famous Algernon Sidney’s quote that “God helps those who help themselves.” Therefore, by praying and allowing doctors to treat his son, God will be able to intervene and heal his son. The best reasoning that Mike could ever engage is only by trusting in God and then giving the doctors freedom to do their best in terms of dialysis as it is good for proper healing of James.Healing And Autonomy Essay.

Conclusion

In conclusion, although Christians should remain committed in their religion, they should not be blind in their faith to God. They should understand that God works miracles through fellow human beings. Mike and his family are staunch followers of God which is good, but they are missing an important aspect when it comes to matters concerning sickness and health. They have failed to understand that God helps those who have helped themselves. For this matter, Mike needs to allow his son to undergo medical dialysis and remain unshaken in praying for God’s healing miracles.Healing And Autonomy Essay.