Cate Murphy

Ethics Case Reflection

8 October 2015
1. What was the central ethical issue you encountered in this case?
The case my group evaluated was about a man named Larry who is an
expert in the treatment of the cervical spine and his wife was recently
involved in a care accident that caused her to have pain in her cervical
spine. The central ethical issue is whether or not Larry should treat his
wife for neck pain when he feels that he is the most qualified therapist
to treat her. He is nervous that he has too personal of a connection to
the situation which could possibly impede his judgment or become a
moral issue. He also feels that friends who he usually asks to schedule
at the office rather than giving them treatment will be offended that he
offers his wife special care. He wants his wife to receive the best
possible treatment but it is a matter of whether he should treat her
himself or refer her to a different therapist.
2. How would you resolve this ethical issue? Do you agree with the
theorist you used as a reference for solving this case?
I would resolve this ethical issue in the same way that my group did by
saying that Larry should treat his wife because he has a duty to her
and to provide the best care possible. If he contacts his insurance
company and they agree with his justification for treatment, it would
make ethical and logical sense for Larry to treat her. We also agreed
that principlism is an important theory in this situation. Larry and his
wife could make a contract between themselves to make the situation
more ethical. Due to duty and principlism it makes the most sense for
Larry to treat his wife as opposed to referring her to a different
therapist who does not have as much experience with treating neck
pain.
3. Did the groups choice differ from yours? If you were the only person
involved what would you have decided to do (vs. what the group
decided)?
I felt that everyone in my group had the same opinion regarding this
ethical case. We all felt that Larry should treat his wife, especially if he
knew that he would provide the best care to her in the area. We felt
that there would be minimal risk to her, considering that he is the best,
and that overall the greatest amount of good would occur for both
Larry and his wife if he were to treat her. Our group worked very well
together and I think it helped that we all agreed on the ethical course
of action.

4. What still confuses you about this case?

The only confusion I feel about this case is about when it is appropriate
to treat a family member and when the situation requires referral.
Based on the situation it seemed pretty obvious that it would be
acceptable for Larry to treat his wife, especially because he felt that his
insurance wouldnt have a problem with it. I just feel that other
situations might be slightly less obvious when deciding what the
ethical choice is.
5. What did you learn about yourself from participating in this assignment
and how can you apply this when you get to clinic?
While participating in this assignment I realized that I prioritize the care
of the patient over other variables involved. As long as something is
legal and appropriate and will provide the maximum amount of care to
the patient I will most likely approve of it. In this situation it seemed
that Larry had extra loopholes to go through in order to treat his wife,
but in my mind it would be worth it if the end result is providing her
with the best care possible. I feel that this should always be the end
goal.
Reference:
Kirsch, N. (2015, April 1). Determining the Best Choice. Retrieved October 7,
2015.