December 3, 2015
HS-101-01
Professor Shantel Anderson
Unit 4 Assignment
Unit 4 Case Study-Life and Death Issues
1. There are four types of advanced directives listed in your text. Please list and describe three of them. The four types of advanced directives are a DNR or Do Not Resuscitate Order, a Living Will, a Power of Attorney and Healthcare Proxy (medical power of attorney) and the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (organ donation). The DNR order is the abbreviation for do not resuscitate. A DNR is an indication that a terminally ill patient should not be placed on life prolonging treatment. In order for a patient to request a DNR order the adult must be competent. Patients who request a DNR order are usually patients …show more content…
Define curative and palliative care. Which type of care does the patient in this case study indicate that he would prefer? Curative care is any care given to help cure or reduce a medical problem. Palliative care is care that is used only to help reduce pain or discomfort from a medical problem but is not a cure for the medical problem. Palliative care is only to help the patient have a better quality of life as the patient’s life nears to the end (Ethics for Health Professionals, 2014). The patient in this case study would prefer palliative care. The patient does not believe in modern medicine and is refusing care to try and cure the medical issue, cancer. The patient is using the palliative care for himself.
3. Explain the difference between withholding and withdrawing …show more content…
Violations of tort law may be intentional or negligent. Negligence is an act or failure to act as a reasonably prudent physician under the same or similar circumstances that directly or proximately causes injury to the patient. The negligent causing of an injury, when committed by a physician in the course of professional duties, is commonly referred to as malpractice. Intentional torts also result in in professional liability suits. In this case if a physician ignores a DNR order he is might be accused of assault and battery. He would be accused of assault because it is a deliberate attempt to touch the patient when he stated not to. The battery falls under the assault as well because battery is the actual touching without permission. The physician could be accused of assault and battery because the patient asked not to resuscitate and in order to ignore the DNR order and actually try and resuscitate the physician touching a patient who did not authorize it.
5. If this situation were to result in a lawsuit, what type of statute would determine how much time the patient would have to file a claim? How much time would a patient have to file a claim in the state in which you reside? Oklahoma’s civil statute of limitation range from two to five years for most causes of action, and one year for defamation claims. Statutes of limitations are laws that