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42. Case: “Oops, Did I Say Too Much?” The Ethics of Confidentiality
View Case Study: 42. Case: “Oops, Did I Say Too Much?” The Ethics of ConfidentialityYou work with a variety of patients and families, and often see firsthand both the joys and disappointments that can come with trying to manage mental health issues. Over time, you have developed some special expertise in working with patients with schizophrenia and often are asked by family doctors for assessments and/or support with treatment…
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15. Case: Acceptable Judgement?
View Case Study: 15. Case: Acceptable Judgement?Sara Thornton, an unemployed 19-year old woman, lives with her 28 year old sister, Fran, and Fran’s boyfriend, Alan. Both sisters were diagnosed with bipolar I disorder in their mid-adolescence. They are both estranged from their alcoholic mother, the only living parent. Fran has learned to manage her illness reasonably well through lifestyle changes, participation…
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12. Case: Should Steve Go Home?
View Case Study: 12. Case: Should Steve Go Home?Throughout his life, Steve was the athlete that everyone admired. He played all sports well, especially excelling at basketball. While being quite competitive, Steve was a team player who enjoyed being a part of the team experience. Unfortunately, while ‘horsing around’ with his friends last summer, Steve dove off a dock into water that was…
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6. Case: To Feed or Not to Feed?
View Case Study: 6. Case: To Feed or Not to Feed?You receive a call on the ethics line about a patient’s relative (next-of-kin and legal decision-maker) force-feeding her sister who is a patient on the unit (pushing food into the patient’s mouth and then holding her mouth closed, pinching her nose, etc. until she swallows). Apparently, this was not an uncommon approach to getting her…
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5. Case: Caring for a “Difficult” Patient
View Case Study: 5. Case: Caring for a “Difficult” PatientA female patient in her mid-forties has been on the GI service for several months now due to severe Crohn’s Disease, which has left her with multiple draining abdominal fistuli. She has recently moved out of the province but her condition could not be treated adequately in the local hospital so she was transferred back…
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2. Case: Treatment and/or Termination? Tough Choices
View Case Study: 2. Case: Treatment and/or Termination? Tough ChoicesMelanie is a 21 year old who was recently involuntarily committed after she started a serious fight at a local shelter, thinking that one of the leaders was trying to steal her favourite T-shirt. Melanie has schizophrenia and is well-known to both the police and mental health care providers. She has been living on and…
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1. Case: Sensitive Information
View Case Study: 1. Case: Sensitive InformationJohn is a young man with a traumatic spinal cord injury that has resulted in paraplegia. He is leaving the rehab hospital on a weekend pass and has confided to his chaplain that he intends to kill himself. The chaplain calls the ethics service for assistance. Some Values and Ethics Issues to Consider
Case Repository
Category: Mental Health Care
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