Thanks to several students for alerting me to this episode. Post your comments here about the issue(s), rather than say, side discussions about Dr. McDreamy....
In this episode a patient has been fatally diagnosed and has chosen physician assisted suicide. Dr. Hunt is asked to be the second doctor to sign off on the PAS but he can't bring himself to let this girl kill herself. He spends most of the episode trying to prove that her condition isn't fatal and trying to convince the patient that she should wait inhopes that maybe a cure will be discovered. In the end the patient decides that PAS is whats best for her and takes the pills anyway. I think that it was unethical for Dr. Hunt to get so emotionally involved in this case and actually try to persuade the patient to take a different route to her own death. It's the doctor's job to give the patient all of the options and information and allow them to choose for themselves. He went too far by trying to make the decision for the patient.
I have to agree with the stance Maria has taken concerning the actions of Dr. Hunt. Obviously the writers of Grey's are trying to appeal to the emotions of their audience, but in doing so I don't feel as if they are doing physicians who actually deal with these types of situations justice. When you compare the emotionally charged Dr. Hunt with the physicians we saw in the video from class, the similarities are few. The actual physicians are doing their job in assisting but never persuading. Dr. Hunt was doing everything to persuade the patient into not go ahead with the suicide. Those actions should not be apart of the physicians responsibilities. Even though I feel Grey's has misrepresented, they sure did a great job of their number one purpose... attracting viewers and boosting ratings.
I also agree that Dr. Hunt was to emotionally involed. I am against PAS and a big supporter of hospice. However, because it is legal in Washington, I feel that any physician who practices in Washington or Oregon which are the only two states with legalized PAS, then it was appropriate for Grey's to have a show to discuss it. PAS is a very touchy and highly debateable subjective and this gives viewers an opportunity to see the different sides of the PAS issue. I also think that there was a little bit more of the dramatics thrown into this show but it did show what the doctors go through as far as trying to decide where they stand on the issue and whether or not they are comfortable participating in PAS.
Why I agree that Dr. Hunt was too emotionally involved, I also think that as doctors they need to be somewhat involved in order to do what is best for the patients. I agree that this woman should be allowed to choose what she wants, but to make a big deal about Dr. Hunt not contributing to it is not right because as doctors they should have the right to decide whether they want to participate no matter what their reasons are. It is important though for each doctor to decide what they want to do before they ever take care of patients especially in the states where PAS is legal. If the doctors know from the start which ones are willing to contribute and which ones aren't then there is no boundary to step on.
In this episode a patient has been fatally diagnosed and has chosen physician assisted suicide. Dr. Hunt is asked to be the second doctor to sign off on the PAS but he can't bring himself to let this girl kill herself. He spends most of the episode trying to prove that her condition isn't fatal and trying to convince the patient that she should wait inhopes that maybe a cure will be discovered. In the end the patient decides that PAS is whats best for her and takes the pills anyway.
ReplyDeleteI think that it was unethical for Dr. Hunt to get so emotionally involved in this case and actually try to persuade the patient to take a different route to her own death. It's the doctor's job to give the patient all of the options and information and allow them to choose for themselves. He went too far by trying to make the decision for the patient.
I have to agree with the stance Maria has taken concerning the actions of Dr. Hunt. Obviously the writers of Grey's are trying to appeal to the emotions of their audience, but in doing so I don't feel as if they are doing physicians who actually deal with these types of situations justice.
ReplyDeleteWhen you compare the emotionally charged Dr. Hunt with the physicians we saw in the video from class, the similarities are few. The actual physicians are doing their job in assisting but never persuading. Dr. Hunt was doing everything to persuade the patient into not go ahead with the suicide. Those actions should not be apart of the physicians responsibilities.
Even though I feel Grey's has misrepresented, they sure did a great job of their number one purpose... attracting viewers and boosting ratings.
I also agree that Dr. Hunt was to emotionally involed. I am against PAS and a big supporter of hospice. However, because it is legal in Washington, I feel that any physician who practices in Washington or Oregon which are the only two states with legalized PAS, then it was appropriate for Grey's to have a show to discuss it. PAS is a very touchy and highly debateable subjective and this gives viewers an opportunity to see the different sides of the PAS issue. I also think that there was a little bit more of the dramatics thrown into this show but it did show what the doctors go through as far as trying to decide where they stand on the issue and whether or not they are comfortable participating in PAS.
ReplyDeleteWhy I agree that Dr. Hunt was too emotionally involved, I also think that as doctors they need to be somewhat involved in order to do what is best for the patients. I agree that this woman should be allowed to choose what she wants, but to make a big deal about Dr. Hunt not contributing to it is not right because as doctors they should have the right to decide whether they want to participate no matter what their reasons are. It is important though for each doctor to decide what they want to do before they ever take care of patients especially in the states where PAS is legal. If the doctors know from the start which ones are willing to contribute and which ones aren't then there is no boundary to step on.
ReplyDelete