Date of Award
1-1-2013
Language
English
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
College/School/Department
Department of Philosophy
Content Description
1 online resource (iii, 71 pages) : illustrations.
Dissertation/Thesis Chair
Kristen Hessler
Committee Members
Bonnie Steinbock
Keywords
Ethics, Philosophy, Public health, Public Policy, Social justice, People with disabilities
Subject Categories
Ethics and Political Philosophy | Philosophy | Public Health
Abstract
Some patients with chronic disabilities and diseases are able to adapt to their health states and, as a result, rate their quality of life higher than hypothetical patients imagining themselves to be in such states. Due to this phenomenon of adaptation, there is much controversy surrounding the effect of adaptation on patient preferences and the role that these adapted preferences ought to play in health care resource allocation decisions. The process of adaptation affects public health debates about whether we ought to give priority to the worst off in allocation decisions because within traditional public health frameworks, it is unclear whether people who have adapted to their disabilities count as being among those who are worst off, and consequently, deserving of priority. Traditional public health perspectives view adaptation as an intractable dilemma for resource allocation decisions because, utilizing a utilitarian or a prioritarian framework, the criterion they forward for determining public health priorities cannot properly incorporate adapted preferences.
Recommended Citation
Connors, Meghan Mary, "The role of adaptation to disability and disease in public health" (2013). Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024). 862.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/legacy-etd/862