Utilitarian bioethics

Still, proponents for utilitarian bioethics look toward models like quality-adjusted life years (QALY) and medical policies like the Texas Advanced Directives Act (TADA) and euthanasia in the Netherlands as advancements in modern health care, while dissenting views argue of its devaluing of individual human life.

A few applications of the utilitarian bioethics in policy are the Groningen Protocol in the Netherlands and the Advance Directives Act in Texas.

[6] Those in favor of utilitarian principles in research, health-care, or bio-medical fields seek advancements in these areas for the benefit of all people and the collective happiness as a species.

[7] Many who argue for the morality of utilitarian principles in research and medical areas point to our already accepted model of disaster triage, inherently utilitarian, which seeks to do the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people by foregoing treatment of those in critical conditions for those who have a higher chance to recover and those that can be quickly cared for to then help in the care effort.

Torrance one of the economist credited to the creation of the concept, then there is unfairness when we consider different age groups, with the elderly getting a lower amount of qalys.

[10] Some this method of resource allocation as mechanical and devoid of human emotion, and argue for an augmented form of cost-effective analysis which seeks to correct this, called the Kevany Riposte.

Utilitarian ethics would allow for such a decision given that if there is no benefit from the intervention, than resources as being used ineffectively and therefore effecting others in society, decreasing overall happiness.

[15] The Groningen Protocol sought to provide an ethical framework to allow for euthanasia of infants with severe medical diagnosis and prognosis.