Category / Case Studies / Challenging patient encounters / Medical Ethics
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![Angry older man.]()
Case Study – The Noncompliant or Nonadherent Patient
Rick is a 78-year-old male patient, suffering from ESRD, among other ailments. Rick is known to the hospital staff as being a “problem patient.” He has a history of noncompliance and behavioral issues, including being verbally abusive to family and staff.
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![A close up of a man with a tear coming from his eye.]()
Case Study –God Wants Me to Suffer. Hospital Care and Religious Beliefs
Landon is a 47-year-old father of two who has a history of alcohol abuse but has been sober for over a year. He was admitted from the emergency department, where he presented earlier this morning with acute abdominal pain. He was diagnosed with pancreatitis and biliary colic, indicating the need for a cholecystectomy (a laparoscopic procedure to remove the gallbladder to prevent gall stones, pain and infection).
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![Man appearing isolated.]()
Case Study – Go Home and Die Alone. Social Isolation
Riley is a 42-year-old who identifies as male. He was admitted to the hospital for shortness of breath and kidney complications. Riley is found to be in acute kidney failure, with his nephrologist recommending dialysis. Riley does have decision-making capacity but does not have any family or surrogate decision maker.
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![A simple window in a dark room representing isolation.]()
Case Study – The Isolated Long-Term-Care Patient and Scarce Resource Allocation
Patient is an 82-year-old female, who is currently a resident at a long-term care facility. The patient is suffering from severe dementia, COPD, and other conditions, and recently tested positive for COVID-19.
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![A woman wearing a face mask with virus graphics floating around.]()
Case Study –“But I’m Asymptomatic to the Virus!” Quarantine Ethics
Jane is 40-year old physician who is travelling back from providing free medical care oversees. She has been stationed in South America, where a new virus is spreading. Very little is known about the virus but is has been shown to be extremely contagious through the air.
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![Two railroad tracks side by side.]()
Case Study –Allowing Patients to Make Bad Decisions
Patient is a 74-year-old male, suffering from COPD and ESRD. Patient requires oxygen and twice weekly dialysis. After a ten-day hospital admission, the attending physician has determined that the patient is medically cleared for discharge and recommends discharge to a SNF.
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![A patient in a hospital bed.]()
Case Study – Nonadherence to Care?
Patient is a 30-year-old female, presenting with multiple co-morbidities including HIV, COPD and cardiac complications. After several weeks in the ICU, the patient’s condition continued to not improve.
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![Kids drawing together.]()
Case Study – Vaccination and Autism
Patient is a 6-year-old female being seen at her family physician. The patient is up-to-date with all of her vaccines, but the patient’s mother is now expressing concerns.
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Medical Ethics – Medical Mistakes
What is the ethical response to medical error, an inevitable occurrence?
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Cultural Competency – The Caregiver Connection
Cultural Competency – The Caregiver Connection Healthcare that is respectful and ethical must also be culturally competent. This article reviews tools provided to caregivers by the University of Michigan Health Care System’s Program for Multicultural Health throughout its many services.
