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Essay / The John Q Movie: Ethical Dilemmas in a Health Care Context
Table of ContentsIntroductionJohn G: Ethical AnalysisThe Principle of MaleficenceThe Question of JusticeConclusionIntroductionThe John Q Movie, directed by Nick Cassavetes, explores the family's compelling story Archibald. John Q Archibald, his wife Denise and his son Michael are an average family, but their lives change dramatically when Michael collapses one day while playing baseball. Rushing him to the hospital, John Q and Denise worry about their son. After several tests, they are informed by Dr. Turner and the hospital administrator, Rebecca Payne, that Michael has cardiomegaly and will need a heart transplant. Desperate to keep their son alive, John Q and Denise scramble to get the money they need to keep their son in the hospital. John Q tries to talk to their insurance company but is told their policy doesn't cover the hospital bill. John Q becomes frustrated and confused by the fact that he pays for health insurance every month but won't be able to use it to help his son. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayThe hospital does not wait for the Archibalds to acquire the $75,000 deposit and decides to release Michael from the hospital , essentially telling John Q and Denise that their son will return home and pass away. Unwilling to abandon his son, John Q makes the bold decision to enter the hospital with a handgun and round up hostages, including Dr. Turner, in the emergency department. He demands that his son be included on the list of beneficiaries as soon as possible. As the day goes on, the police and SWAT try to plan how to get John Q out without harming the hostages. However, John Q doesn't want to hurt anyone, he just wants to save his son, and ends up freeing a few hostages in exchange for putting his son's name on the list. Eventually, after Michael is brought back to the hospital, John Q reveals his intention to kill himself so that his heart can be used to save his son. He persuades Dr. Turner to perform the operation and the hostages to bear witness to his action. In a climactic twist, Denise learns that there is a donor heart that can be used to save Michael. She rushes to try to tell John Q, but is shown pointing the gun at his head in the scene. Just in time, she stops John Q from ending his life and, miraculously, Michael receives her heart and is saved. However, John Q must now appear in court and await sentencing. The public has mixed feelings about this; some believe John Q should go to jail for his actions while others believe his actions were justified because of his intention to save his son. Throughout this storyline, viewers are provided with examples of ethical health care dilemmas related to the lives of the Archibald family and the direction of health care for their son.John G: Ethical AnalysisEthical dilemmas are situations that occur when conflicting values exist and cause distress and controversy for those involved. - in this case, health professionals and patients. In health care, several important ethical issues are closely studied due to their abundant but controversial nature. Issues that fall under these ethical principles are often found in hospitals in the United States, where hospitals find themselves trying to find a balance. These issues include autonomy, non-maleficence, and justice. Autonomy involves allowing the patient to be included in the decision regarding all aspectsof his care. Nonmaleficence is the ethical concept in which the healthcare professional must try to balance the risks and benefits of care while causing no harm. Finally, justice is fairness, particularly with regard to the fair distribution of health resources. The Principle of Maleficence One of the major ethical issues raised in this film is the principle of maleficence. As mentioned earlier, this principle involves the idea of "do no harm", which was contained in the original Hippocratic Oath taken by healthcare workers like doctors. When the hospital decides to let Michael go because they are tired of waiting for John Q to provide the deposit, it could be said that "do no harm" is forgotten because they took Michael out of the hospital although he was not in stable condition. In cases of cardiomegaly, the heart becomes enlarged. This may be due to an underlying condition, such as heart valve disease. In the film, they don't mention the cause of Michael's cardiomegaly and only mention that he needs a heart transplant. His condition and treatment aren't discussed much in the film, so it's unclear what the doctors were doing to treat Michael. By sending Michael home, the family essentially has to wait for his death. This is detrimental because the family does not want this option and would like to save their son, but the hospital insists that Michael be released. Help is supposed to be offered to those who need it, but because insurance doesn't cover the operation, they send him home to die. Additional research on this ethical topic needs to be implemented so that new strategies can be developed to help nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers collaborate to resolve these dilemmas and reduce harm to patients. This will help patients, like Michael, receive better treatment that focuses on patient safety and care while reducing harm. The Question of Justice Another major ethical question presented in the film is the question of justice, the equitable distribution of resources to the population. . Because John Q and his family do not have enough money to pay for the operation, the hospital asks the Archibalds to make a cash payment. This seems rather counterintuitive, as the family cannot afford the operation, but is required to pay thirty percent of the cost just to have their son's name placed on the list of organ recipients. When it comes to resource allocation, there are often many dilemmas. As seen in the film, when it comes to organ donation, the organs must match the recipient and it is often a list system. This can create several challenges for organ transplantation, including how to allocate organs when the number of possible organ recipients is greater than the number of organ donors. It's difficult because many families and patients find themselves in situations similar to those of the Archibalds. The list of organ recipients can often be long and the process of getting on the organ recipient list is not always guaranteed. A patient must be referred by a doctor and other factors, such as insurance, must be taken into account. Additionally, decisions made in health care are often influenced by a person's financial situation. For example, in a study examining the relationship between a patient's insurance status and access to care, researchers found that uninsured patients were more likely to be transferred to another hospital despite the hospital capacity. This creates an ethical dilemma.