Welcome to Ethics Consult -- an accidental to discuss, statement (respectfully), and larn together. We prime an ethical dilemma from a true, but anonymized, diligent attraction case. You ballot connected your determination successful the lawsuit and, adjacent week, we'll uncover however you each made the call. Bioethicist Jacob M. Appel, MD, JD, volition besides measurement successful with an ethical model to assistance you larn and prepare.
The pursuing lawsuit is adapted from Appel's 2019 book, Who Says You're Dead? Medical & Ethical Dilemmas for the Curious & Concerned.
A large-scale survey shows that radical who person definite familial markers connected chromosome 15 and besides fume cigarettes are acold much apt to make lung crab than those who bash not transportation specified markers. This survey comes to the attraction of Irwin, the proprietor of the Happy & Healthy Tobacco Company, which manufactures cigarettes. Irwin is acrophobic that his employees, galore of whom fume tobacco, volition make lung crab -- which would beryllium atrocious for some his company's healthcare costs and its nationalist image. He decides to necessitate each aboriginal employees to beryllium tested for these familial markers, and plans to prosecute lone those who trial negative.
Jacob M. Appel, MD, JD, is manager of morals acquisition successful psychiatry and a subordinate of the organization reappraisal committee astatine the Icahn School of Medicine astatine Mount Sinai successful New York City. He holds an MD from Columbia University, a JD from Harvard Law School, and a bioethics MA from Albany Medical College.
Check retired immoderate of our past Ethics Consult cases:
Add Lithium to Town's Drinking Water?
English (US)