Healthy Case for Letting Doctors Judge Teens Best Interests by Dominic Wilkinson - Article Example

Critical thinking Essay Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Critical Thinking Essay Introduction Dominic Wilkinson wrote the article Healthy Case for Letting Doctors Judge Teens best interests. Dr. Wilkinson is bioethicist and pediatrician at the Oxford University. The article appeared in the National times. An article was also published in the journal of Adolescent health. The article described the way plastic surgery has gained popularity among teenagers in the US. Essentially, Wilkinson argues that their best interests mainly guide medical decisions that are made by minors today. The argument here is whether to respect the choices made by children and adolescents. The decisions made by minors are poor since they do so without considering their general well being. Doctors and parents should therefore, make the decisions so as to maximize the benefits and lessen the risks involved. This is because children and adolescents’ ability to weigh options are still developing. Therefore, children should not be given autonomy over medical decisions. Analysis Essentially the author argues that teens are constantly making decisions that are harmful to their bodies. The fact that Hannah refused a heart transplant will mean that she will die in the six months. What she does not consider is the fact that the transplant will prolong her years and even enable her to be independent and active. The argument employed here is a deductive one. This is because the premises involved lead to a definite conclusion. The choice made by the teenager will lead to her death. The choice will also result in the recurrence of a disease she had when she was young. Teens decline to undergo some processes simply because of their religion or self interests. Essentially, the author argues on the question whether to give the teens more autonomy over medical decisions or not. The problems, which occur due to autonomy of medical decisions, include: • Death • Recurrence of diseases such as Leukemia for the teenager in the article • Complications resulting from surgeries such as breast enlargement, liposuction and tummy tucks Therefore, teenagers should not be given autonomy over their health issues. The author provides situations that help in the justification that teenagers should not be allowed to make their own resolutions concerning their health. The situations provide a basis for judging the decisions made. A teenager declines a life saving blood transfusion because of religious conviction. Another believed that breast enlargement will make her happy and improve her body image. The question here is will the teenagers utilize the autonomy given to them properly. Will they use it to make decisions that will jeopardize their well-being? Essentially the author argues that a shift has occurred away from the fact that doctors were perceived to know best. Doctors have been forced to make unethical decisions regarding their patients. This is all with respect to the rights and autonomy given to the children. A doctor can leave teenagers to make their own decisions no matter how wrong they seem. A rising number of teenagers are going for plastic surgery for the intention of improving their body image. There is no evidence though, that the improvement will last long. Therefore, the doctors decision should be respected. Essentially, the author also argues that the voices of children and adolescents should not be ignored. The children and teenagers should however, be provided with adequate information about the reasons why certain choices were made. Their opinions should be sought, and they should be allowed to make certain decisions. The decisions should however, not be a menace to their well-being. The role of parents should be respected when it comes to decisions regarding their children’s heath. Therefore, the voices of children should not be ignored. Essentially, the author argues that the trend to allow teenagers have control over medical decisions should be resisted. Therefore, the role of parents in medicine should be respected. Teenagers are prone to making the wrong choices and hence it is up to the parent to respect the decision or not. The role of parents is justified as the teens are not old or mature enough to decide on their own. Evaluation Strengths of the argument that Doctors should be let Judge Teens best interests The judgment by doctors will help minimize any harm that could result from the decisions made by teenagers. This means that benefits are ensured because the decisions made by doctors are based on ethics. The decision made by parents and doctors is better informed compared to the teens’ decisions. This is because the teens are still in the development stage and hence their ability to make and weigh decisions is extremely low. The parents and doctors have the long term well being of children and teenagers in mind when making decisions. Teens can make resolutions based on peer pressure and the result can be fatal. Doctors help in reasoning with the patient since they try to weigh if the option they are choosing is consistent with their best interests. Through this, the doctor or parents’ conscience is made clear, and there would be no regrets later. The reasoning can help the teenagers change their minds and hence avoid the risks and burdens that come with the treatment. The doctor or parents’ main aim is to give comfort and care for the patient. Doctors and parents can help reverse a wrong choice. The decisions made could help to safeguard their present and future interests. The decision by some teenagers to have plastic surgery has no evidence as to how long it lasts. The complications can be fatal contrary to the assurance of improved body image. These premises provide good support for the conclusion that, teens are young and hence they should not be allowed to control any medical decision that concerns them. The conclusion for the premises is purely based on common knowledge. This is so because it is a widespread awareness to know that plastic surgery is not acceptable and does not last. It is common knowledge to know that blood transfusion saves lives. Heart transplants prolong the life of an individual. Plastic surgery provides satisfaction for a while but will eventually cause misery and discomfort to the patient. Weaknesses of the argument that Doctors should be let Judge Teens best interests Autonomy is not respected when doctors and parents are given a likelihood to make resolutions on behalf of the teenagers. Individuals have the right and aptitude of what is best for them. The resolutions they take may be the best according to them. The choices they make can also be more valuable than the alternative decisions made by parents of doctors. Autonomy is best accepted if everyone accepts the decision made by an individual no matter how wrong it is. The decision made by parents or doctors may not be consistent with the desired interests of the patient. The wrong decision made can then haunt the decision makers forever. Not all adults can make sound decisions, and most are not competent in what they do. This means that adults too need to have a high standard of decision making. Most reject the request presented, which they believe will safeguard the welfare of the teens now and in the future. By allowing doctors to be the judges of the teens’ best interest, the voices of the children are ignored. Ignoring their voices could be fatal as it could lead to resentment. The children may not know how to make resolutions for themselves in the future. Through listening to them and giving them a chance to give their own opinion, they are taught how they can make choices regarding their lives in the future. Conclusion The argument is on whether to let doctors judge the teens’ best interest. Children and adolescents are young and hence unable to make sound decisions. They decide based, on peer pressure and the quest, to look beautiful and have a flawless body. The question is, should we respect the decisions they make regardless of how wrong they may be. It is the responsibility of the parents and doctors to guide them and help them make decisions with their well being in mind. It is also essential to involve the teens in the decision making process provided that they do not make life threatening decisions. The role of parents should be considered and respected. The decisions made by doctors could prolong their lives as they have experience in the field of medicine. The decisions can also help parents and relieve them from burdens of treatment. The argument is mixed in general. This is because the conclusions drawn from the premises are both from the positive and negative sides. The author has clearly indicated his own objections. This has been done by the statement that teenagers should not be allowed to make and control medical decisions. The author opposes the move having the well being of children and adolescents in mind. This is his opinion though, and may differ from those of others. Some may consider decisions as being solely personal and hence no one has the right to alter another person’s decisions. References Wilkinson, D. 2008. Healthy case for letting doctors judge teens’ best interests, National Times. Read More