Template for the Terri Schiavo Case Analysis
1. Briefly outline the relevant medical facts contributing to Ms. Schiavo's condition 
2. Provide a brief summary of the legal history specific to Ms. Schiavo's case. Include a discussion of the major past cases which influenced the issues in the case, focusing primarily on an individual's right to refuse medical care. 
3. Based on your readings and discussions in Module 4, discuss some of the legal considerations of relevance in Ms. Schiavo's case.
4. Discuss the contextual motivations potentially influencing the following stakeholders (those directly or indirectly affected by the case), and the ethical or moral justifications for their positions: Ms. Schiavo's parents, her husband, the Governor of Florida as a representative of a state's interest, taxpayers and the disabled community. 
5. Based on what you have learned so far in this course, state your ethical position relative to the issue--what would you do? Remember to justify your position. 
6. Discuss at least one of the health policy considerations that are present in this case. 
• In developing your response, keep in mind that public policy seeks to protect and benefit the welfare, safety and interests of society while balancing the rights of individuals. Health policy considerations are issues that can and/or should be discussed, and changed in order to avoid scenarios such as what happened with Terri Schiavo. 
7. Briefly discuss what you have learned from your exploration of the Terri Schiavo case. Has the case influenced your view of advanced directives? Presuming you have not already, are you now considering completing your own advance directives? Why or Why Not? 


This mid-term project is worth 20% of your final grade and provides an opportunity for you to learn how to develop elements of a case analysis, such as identifying relevant medical facts and legal influences, stakeholder positions and motivations, policy considerations, legal issues and ethical considerations. The objective is to assist you in recognizing the various components contributing to and influencing an ethical dilemma arising in healthcare. Upon the completion of the activity, you should have enhanced insight into analyzing medical ethical dilemmas that may arise in your own professional or private lives. The reading for the assignment contains the information you will need to complete the assignment. While you are welcome to use other sources, it is not necessary.

Assignment Reference Materials:

•Preston, T. & Kelly, M. (2006). A medical ethics assessment of the case of Terri Schiavo. Death Studies. 30(2), 121-133. Retrieved on October 13, 2010 from Academic Search Premier database. .

•Cyranoski, D. (2012). The mind reader. Nature, 456, 178-180. .

•Fins, J. ,. (2009). Brain injury: the vegetative and minimally conscious states. Garrison, NY: The Hastings Center, Bioethics Briefing Book. Retrieved from http://www.thehastingscenter.org/Publications/BriefingBook/Detail.aspx?id=2166 .

•Mathes, M. (2005). Terri Schiavo and end-of-life decisions: Can law help us out? MEDSURG Nursing. 41(3), 200-202. Retrieved on October 13, 2010 from Academic Search Premier database. .

•Perry, J., Chruchill, L. R. & Kirshner, H.S. et al. (2005). The Terri Schiavo case: Legal, ethical, and medical perspectives. Annals of Internal Medicine. 143(10), 744-748. Retrieved on October 13, 2010 from Academic Search Premier database. .

•Ditto, P. (2006). What would Terri want? On the psychological challenges of surrogate decision making. Death Studies. 30(2), 135-148. Retrieved on October 13, 2010 from Academic Search Premier database. .


Instructions:

1.Read the Assignment Reference Materials provided for this activity. .

2.Complete the linked problem/response template. Your responses to each problem should be, on average, 3-4 paragraphs in length and double-spaced. .

3.Support all statements, elevating them from opinion to informed opinion. Also, remember to define all key terms used (i.e. Bioethics principles, moral theories, PVS, AN&H, etc.). .

4.Format your case analysis using APA writing style, including a Title Page, Conclusion, inline citations, where appropriate and a Bibliography (even though the references have already been provided to you). .

5.Submit your assignment in one WORD document and place it in the appropriate assignment submission dropbox in Module 4. .

6.Your midterm project (case analysis) is due at the end of Module 4. .

Compose your work using a word processor (or other software as appropriate) and save it frequently to your computer. When you're ready to submit your work, click Browse My Computer and find your file. Once you've located your file click Open and, if successful, the file name will appear under the Attached files heading. Scroll to the bottom of the page, click Submit and you're done. Be sure to check your work and correct any spelling or grammatical errors before you post it.