Introduction
Terri Schiavo’s case is an intensely divisive and painful legal conflict that raises complex ethical issues. It raises questions about the right to life, medical care, the function of family and healthcare professionals in making medical decisions for incapacitated patients, and end-of-life choices. The morality of removing Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube can be debated through consequentialist and deontological theories, highlighting the ethical dilemmas surrounding end-of-life decisions and the role of healthcare professionals and family members in making such decisions.
Applying Moral Theories to Terri Schiavo’s Case
Deontology
According to the moral theory of deontology, some behaviors are inherently right or wrong, regardless of their effects. Deontologists consider the 1990 moral obligation as a guide with advice on how people should behave (Beauchamp and Childress, 2001). Deontological ethics would suggest that removing Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube was unethical because it violates the non-maleficence principle, which requires healthcare professionals to do no harm to their patients (Zolkefil, 2018).
Terri Schiavo lost the nutrition she needed to survive when her feeding tube was removed (Zolkefil, 2018). Such actions are contrary to the idea of non-maleficence because they directly cause harm. Removing the feeding tube is going against the beneficence principle, which calls for medical professionals to advance their patients’ well-being. In this situation, Terri Schiavo’s caregivers could keep giving her medication and comforting care, which enhanced her quality of life.
Terri Schiavo’s guardian and husband had decided to have the feeding tube removed in accordance with his wife’s previously expressed wishes. Medical workers should consider the idea of autonomy for ethical dilemmas (Beauchamp and Childress, 2001). The principle of autonomy is central to ethics because it determines the degree of patient autonomy. The choice to remove Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube may have violated the non-maleficence principle. However, it can be viewed as upholding the autonomy principle and respecting Terri Schiavo’s right to choose medical care.
Consequentialism
On the other hand, consequentialism is a moral theory that states that an action’s morality should be determined by its results. Consequence theorists hold that ethically correct actions have the most positive impact on the most significant number of individuals (Beauchamp and Childress, 2001). For more than ten years, Terri Schiavo had been in a persistent vegetative state and had not shown any signs of improvement. Thus, consequentialist ethics would contend that, in her case, removing the feeding tube was morally acceptable because it lessened the suffering of the patient and her family (Akdeniz, Yardımcı, and Kavukcu, 2021). She died peacefully and felt no pain or unnecessary discomfort. This decision also eased the financial and emotional strain on her family.
The consequentialist approach is more convincing in this situation. Although deontological ethics provides a valuable framework for guiding medical judgments, it is crucial to consider a decision’s overall effects, particularly when it comes to end-of-life decisions (Hein, 2020). It is crucial to note that Terri Schiavo was permanently disabled and could not recover. In these situations, medical procedures that extend life do not help the patient and might even make them worse by increasing their suffering (Schwartz et al., 2021). The decision to remove the feeding tube had overall effects that were more favorable than adverse, despite the fact that it is crucial to adhere to non-maleficence and beneficence in medical decision-making.
The staff removed the feeding tube from Terri Schiavo based on the principles of autonomy and dignity rather than a desire for harm. After carefully weighing the available medical data, ethical standards, and Terri’s husband’s wishes, I thought it was a difficult choice. Therefore, from a consequentialist viewpoint, it was ethically acceptable to make this decision (Beauchamp and Childress, 2001).
However, no solution applies to all situations in this case, and each end-of-life choice must be based on specific facts. Furthermore, medical workers should pay attention to the patient’s wishes and respect them because they should take into account their cultural and religious beliefs (Schwartz et al., 2021). The family should take part in the decision-making processes and support their relatives during the final stage of life.
Conclusion
The Terri Schiavo case raises challenging ethical issues relating to end-of-life choices and the function of healthcare professionals in selecting the most appropriate course of treatment for patients. Although consequentialist moral theory and deontological moral theories present opposing views in this case, the consequentialist perspective is more convincing because it considers the overall effects of the action. The staff removed Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube to ease her suffering and reduce her family’s anxiety, so it was the best option for her.
Reference List
Akdeniz, M., Yardımcı, B., and Kavukcu, E. (2021) ‘Ethical considerations at the end-of-life care’, SAGE Open Medicine, 9. Web.
Beauchamp, T. L. and Childress, J. F. (2001) Principles of biomedical ethics. 8th edition. New York: Oxford University Press.
Hein, R. (2020) ‘Principles and ethics in medicine’, Medicine, 48(10), pp. 631-633. Web.
Schwartz, D. B. et al. (2021) ‘Ethical aspects of artificially administered nutrition and hydration: An ASPEN position paper‘, Nutrition in Clinical Practice: Official Publication of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, 36(2), pp. 254-267. Web.
Zolkefil, Y. (2018) ‘The ethics of truth-telling in health-care settings’, The Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences, 25(3), pp. 135-139. Web.