The Acupuncture Alternative

Mr. Chen, a 40-year-old patient originally from China, has had lumbar problems for one year. The condition includes dull pain in his right leg and the inability to sit still for long periods. X-ray examination reveals a prolapsed lumbar disc. He has been treated with conventional pain medication with minimal effect.

His physician recommends back surgery, but Mr. Chen is reluctant to take this option. Instead, he asks the doctor to refer him to an acupuncturist because his insurance coverage requires physician’s approval for “alternative” therapy. He mentions to the physician that he has tried acupuncture before, and it has helped him.

• Does a patient have the right to access to non-Western forms of medical treatment?
• To what extent should a person control his or her own care?
• A patient might want all kinds of treatments and therapies, some of which might be effective and some of which might actually be harmful. Must the physician automatically comply?
• If patients turn to acupuncture for approved indications, are the risks acceptable? And who should decide, the patient or the physician?

Apply Theory (Specific Professional Healthcare Competencies + Clinical Medical Ethical Principles) to Practice in order to provide Optimal Patient-Centered Care (OPCC)

Source – Santa Clara University, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics