Inadequate Health Resources and Negligent Patients: The Factor of Personal Responsibility

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Published: Mar 25, 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/ethiki.22751
Keywords:
Healthcare Resources; Personal Responsibility; Distributive Justice; Organ Transplantation; Negligent Patients; Bioethics; Paternalism; Resource Allocation
Michalis Igoumenidis
Abstract

This article examines the ethical dilemma of resource allocation in healthcare, specifically focusing on whether personal responsibility for one's health status should influence priority in treatment. The author addresses the scarcity of medical resources, such as ICU beds and organ transplants, noting that in an ideal society with unlimited resources, the problem of distribution would not exist. The study explores the tension between the principle of "need" and the "responsibility-based" approach, where patients who contribute to their own illness through risky behaviors (e.g., smoking, substance abuse) might be de-prioritized compared to those with "unlucky" conditions. Drawing on the theories of John Harris, Robert Goodin, and Derek Parfit, the paper analyzes the concepts of paternalism, autonomy, and the "risky self". The author concludes by questioning the fairness and feasibility of using personal lifestyle choices as a criterion for medical micro-allocation, highlighting the social and moral complexities of penalizing "negligent" patients.

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