Deontological Theory and Patient-Centered Care
Deontological theory emphasizes the role of obligation in determining whether actions are wrong or right. The deontological theory is applicable in this circumstance since it explains the doctor's responsibility to prioritize the patient's needs. Patient-centered care is becoming increasingly important in many healthcare systems and facilities. This model of care is intended to assist medical workers in understanding and responding to patients' needs. As a result, the doctor should feel obligated to include the patient and carers in the treatment process.
The Importance of Customer Discretion and Listening to Patient's Perspective
The healthcare industry in the United States is primarily comprised of private entities. Apart from the goal of providing accessible and affordable healthcare, these entities can only remain sustainable if they attract clients and increase profits. A facility can only attract and maintain clients if it responds to their needs and preferences. Therefore, the medics should have listened to the boy's parents and considered their issues before making a decision. Another option would entail helping the parents understand the issue from their perspective. Despite the emergency, there was need to convince the parents on the necessity of concurrent medications, especially for the case of Obsessive-compulsive Disorder.
Prioritizing Patient-Centered Care and Educating Stakeholders
If the institution set up a patient-centered care system, the doctors will feel that they have a duty to ensure that each patient is comfortable with the treatment process before they proceed. Though this case involved an emergency, there still was an opportunity for the physicians to have a conversation with the parents and only proceed when everyone is comfortable and convinced about the necessity of each procedure. However, there need to educate all the stakeholders on the importance of customer discretion in a patient-centered care setting.
Conclusion
Medics are tasked with the responsibility of supporting patients and helping them recover. However, these priorities should be fulfilled while considering the input of the patients and their caregivers. A good healthcare system is that which responds to the needs of the patients while considering their financial and other abilities. In order to demonstrate empathy, doctors should listen to patients and try to solve their queries and doubts rather than proceeding while ignoring the concerns raised. Medical are guided by virtues. In this scenario, the doctor's commitment to the boy's recovery demonstrated compassion. However, efforts to display virtues should be a reason to undermine the standard rules and procedures. Rules in medical practice have developed over centuries of observation and experimentation. The predecessors in the medical field found out that considering the patient's input is important in improving outcomes. Therefore, there was need to apply deontology in this scenario and prioritize a patient-centered care system where the client and his caregivers are listened to. Their feelings, views and perceptions should be addressed before the treatment process. The consequences of the medical procedures were positive and maximized happiness for all the individuals involved. However, this was not the case in the short-term as the parents feared that the boy's system would be overwhelmed with the medications. They also felt that the hospital bill would be beyond their financial ability. Therefore, the utilitarian theory only works in the short-term. There is need for the facility and the whole healthcare industry to move towards patient-centered care where issues riding from the perceptions, tastes and preferences of the patients are addressed before any intervention can be effected.
