The Feeding Tube

1481 Words6 Pages
The Feeding Tube 1. Explain how the Patient Bill of Rights applies to this situation. The patients of the country in the United States are provided a particular right. This right is called the Patient Bill of Rights (Kronenfeld, 2002). The Patient Bill of Rights has a significant impact and is essential for the people who are in the health care organization for the purpose of getting treatment properly and easily. In this scenario, June is suffering from anorexia and the doctors feel she may need to be placed on a feeding tube to save her life. June agreed to the procedure but became combative, disoriented and refused to have the tube place the evening before the procedure was to take place. The patient bill of rights applies, as the patient has a right to know what treatment options are available to one and what the possible outcomes may be. The patient has a right to decide one’s medical care. One also has a right to know of any side effects of treatments. June needs to be told what may happen without the feeding tube and what can be expected with the feeding tube. June also has a right to have her health information kept confidential, with information given only to those she designates as being allowed to have her health information (Showalter, 2008). It is noted that in the absence of a progressive terminal disease, the feeding tube may be used to prolong life and since the patient is not dying of another cause, discontinuing the feeding tube would imply a desire to cause the patient’s death. In this context most of the controversy occurs. If the patient is able to express one’s views now, or in the past has clearly expressed one’s desires on this issue, they should be considered. Too frequently, a statement is made in very clear-cut terms whether or not to use a feed tube. It would be wiser, rather than saying yes or no, to discuss the context in which one
Open Document