The Most Pressing Principle: Medical Indications, Patient Preferences, Quality of Life, or Contextual Features

The Most Pressing Principle: Medical Indications, Patient Preferences, Quality of Life, or Contextual Features

The pressing principle presented in the case scenario is patient preferences. According to Biggar (2015), religion may be a source of liberal virtues. It teaches that every person has a right to be heard and his or her views to be considered while making any decision about the future. Christianity teaches patience, openness to being educated and corrected, respect for others as potential speakers of truth, and readiness to confess dishonesty (Biggar, 2015). These virtues honor every person’s right to shared decision-making while considering people’s values. Therefore, patient preferences are the principle most valued by people with a Christian worldview.

However, the principle is a matter of controversy in the case, as it has become a reason for condition deterioration. First, personal preferences inclined Mike and Joanne to avoid dialysis, which lead to the need for kidney transplantation.

Such a problem would not have existed if the decision was made purely on evidence and a combination of three other principles. Second, the same issue may lead to further rejection of the proposed surgery, as parents may view the situation as a test of faith. However, this matter differs from the first point, as the parents have to decide whether it is right to make Samuel donate a kidney, as he would face issues concerning his quality of life. In summary, the primary concern in the scenario is individual preferences, as it was the most impactful matter that is valued by Christians.