We post an ethical or situational concern that has arisen in a facility where one of our readers works. It has no identifiers included. It gives you only the facts of the case. Then, you can respond to that concern. This is an ongoing dialogue, with comments added as they come in. In the following issue, assuming it has been resolved, we give you the outcome from the facility where the incident took place. Please send any cases that you would like considered for inclusion to: info@plainviews.org

We hope that this new addition will help to inform not only those who are dealing with the issue, but will enable all of our readers to learn from the experiences and perhaps mistakes of others.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to unanticipated continuing responses to both the case and the resolution of the case, added responses can be viewed in the archives. Click HERE.

CaseConference #7 Resolution

The Chaplain encouraged the physician to look into his own personal source of spiritual strength and faith. This he did. The doctor also spoke of the meaning and value he places on the Hippocratic Oath which he swore to uphold as a healer, especially where he vowed to do no harm.

His faith and his adherence to the sacred oath of medicine gave him the support that he needed to meet again with the family and decline to do the surgery. He spoke of how he honored their religious conviction and he asked them to honor his values in not operating when no cause for surgery was found. They agreed. The ENT physician then referred the boy to a pediatric neuro-ENT.

In making the referral the doctor shared the unique case history with the pediatric doctor.

CaseConference #7

A mother, father and their 12-year-old son appeared for an appointment with an ENT (ear, nose and throat) physician. The family stated that the reason for the visit was their son’s “voice box” was closed; he did not speak. They informed the physician, “The Holy Mother of our Church sent us to you, because you can open the voice box and make my son speak.”

After realizing the boy was autistic, the doctor shared the psychological and neurological nature of the condition with the family. Still the family pressed him to do a CT scan and X-ray study, saying it was foretold that the problem with the voice box would appear on the scan. The studies were ordered. Results of the study were negative, no lesions or abnormalities were apparent.

The results were reported to the family. A few days later the mother, father, the Holy Mother, and priest of the church had an appointment with the doctor. They asked to see and review the X-ray and CT results. The doctor carefully took time to explain how he had read the studies and the reports of the radiologist. He shared the films with those gathered.

The Holy Mother then pointed to a specific slice of the CT films and remarked that she was told by God that in this place he would find a “perisicula” that God would help him to remove and the boy would speak.

The physician knew of no such abnormality. He informed the family that in keeping with his medical oath to do no harm, he could not operate seeing there was no lesion, growth or visible blockage.

The doctor called the chaplain for advice on how to respect this family’s strong religious convictions without compromising his professional integrity.

What might the chaplain do to support the physician?

How could the chaplain assist the family?

Please check the archives below for comments made about the last CaseConference.

Send your comments about CaseConference to info@PlainViews.org.