Health Care Policy, Law and Ethics Assignment 4

Assignment #4-The Feeding Tube

Nicole Johnson

Dr. Harold Griffin

Health Care Policy, Law and Ethics

February 26, 2011

Explain how the Patient Bill of Rights applies to this situation.

Under the Patient Bill of Rights, the patient has the right to make decisions about the plan of care and treatment process as well as the right to refuse treatment except in those cases in which the patient is found to be incompetent because he or she lacks the ability to make decisions (Showalter, 2008). In the case study, the patient has severe Anorexia which is a serious mental illness, and therefore, lacks the ability to make a decision regarding her treatment plan. The case study notes, the patient needs a feeding tube placed immediately in order to saver her life. It further mentions that the patient has become combative and disoriented which is more evidence to show that the patient has some form of cognitive impairment that is preventing her from making a sound decision to save her own life.

Based on the facts given in the scenario would the patient be considered competent to decide? Explain your answer.

Competency is the mental ability to distinguish right from wrong and manage one’s own affairs. Based on the evidence provided in the case study the answer is no as the patient’s mental status is presumably affected by her eating disorder. The rationale for this statement, the patient has a serious mental disorder which can cause cognitive impairment because of subnutrition. According to WebMD, anorexia affects both the body and the mind, which is why it is necessary for her parents to make a decision on her behalf. Age is not a factor in this scenario because clearly the patient can legally make decisions for herself; however, the patient’s eating disorder has altered her mental state and therefore her ability to make rationale decisions. Also originally the patient agreed to the feeding tube, but later became combative and disoriented which is also evidence that...