Reference no: EM133725584

Question

Donald "Dax" Cowart died on April 28, 2019 at the age of 71. He was a practicing lawyer who furiously advocated for patient rights and self-determination on a daily basis. This passion was a result of a tragic accident in 1973, which left Dax severely burned and took the life of his father. Though psychiatrists determined Dax to be competent from the time of his accident throughout the treacherous treatment process, his repeated requests to stop treatment and let him die were continuously ignored by the treating physicians and his mother. Although Dax's experience occurred decades ago, I wonder whether this situation could happen or still happens in healthcare settings today. Healthcare providers are faced with having to make legal and/or ethical decisions every day that involve life-or-death situations, as well as in some situations that are not so grave. Legal dilemmas seem more or less a right-versus-wrong issue in regard to specific laws; however, ethical dilemmas usually develop when a conflict exists based on differing moral principles (Pozgar, 2010). References: Kliever, L. D. (1989). Dax's case: Essays in Medical Ethics and Human Meaning. Dallas: Southern Methodist University Press. Pozgar, G. D. (2010). Legal and Ethical Issues for Health Professionals.