DEAMONTE DRIVER The story of a 12 year old Maryland boy named Deamonte Driver in
ID: 3445697 • Letter: D
Question
DEAMONTE DRIVER
The story of a 12 year old Maryland boy named Deamonte Driver initiated nationwide Medicaid reform. Deamonte's family was poor and living in a homeless shelter from time to time. He and his 4 brothers never had primary dental care providers and suffered from untreated dental disease. They were enrolled in Medicaid, but coverage lapsed at times.
In trying to access dental care for her children, Deamonte’s single mother, Alyce, became put off by the confusing bureaucracy of the Maryland Medicaid HealthChoice managed health program. Dental providers participating in the program were sparse, and the wait times for appointments, even for urgent care, were measured in months rather than days or weeks. “The Driver boys all had a primary care doctor — a medical home — a pediatrician who treated their childhood illnesses, gave them their immunizations, made sure they were healthy to play sports,” said Laurie J. Norris, an attorney for Maryland-based The Public Justice Center, during her testimony before the Congressional Domestic Policy Subcommittee, Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s May 2 hearing on Deamonte’s death. “But the Driver boys never had a regular primary care dentist — a dental home.”
Ironically, it was Deamonte’s younger brother, DaShawn, who seemed to be in the gravest need of dental care. His face was swollen with six abscessed teeth, and he was suffering from terrible pain. Deamonte never complained of dental pain but began having excruciating headaches, which were first diagnosed as sinusitis, then as a brain infection in mid-January.
Deamonte died Feb. 25 after six weeks of hospitalization, two brain surgeries and one tooth extraction. One $80 extraction ended up costing this child his life and the state $250,000. Following Deamonte’s death, the first of DaShawn’s abscessed teeth was extracted in March by an oral surgeon participating in Maryland's Medicaid managed care program. But no antibiotics were prescribed and the attending dentist recommended pulling one tooth per month over the course of five months. A panicked Alyce transferred DaShawn’s care to the pediatric dental clinic at the University of Maryland, Baltimore College of Dental Surgery where the remaining five abscessed teeth were extracted at once in accordance with the accepted standard of care.
In the case of Deamonte Driver, the state Medicaid system violated all of the following core ethical values except:
A. Confidentiality
B. Justice
C. Nonmaleficence
D. Beneficence
2.Deamonte's mother has some accountability and responsibility for the outcome in this case. Mrs. Driver is guilty of neglecting her son’s oral health which constitutes child abuse/neglect.
A. First statement is false, second is true
B. Both statements are false
C. First statement is true, second is false
D. Both statements are true
3. The dental provider who recommended multiple visits spanning a few months to extract his heavily decayed teeth that were causing infection for Deamonte brother, DaShawn, violated which of the following Torts:
A. Standard negligence
B. Contributory negligence
C. Professional negligence
D. Technical assault
4. Dashawn Driver had multiple chronic abscesses, oral infections; the decision by the dental provider to not prescribe antibiotics could constitute professional negligence, this is a violation of civil law.
A. Both statements are true
B. The first statement is true and the second statement is false
C. The first statement is false and the second statement is true
D. Both statements are false
Explanation / Answer
In the case of Deamonte Driver , the state violated justice, nonmaleficence and beneficence as justice was denied to him by not giving right dental treatment at right time, the benefit of treatment that could have saved the life of the boy ,was not given in time, thus both the ethics of non- maleficence and beneficence were violated. Hence, the solution is A. Confidentiality. Deamonte's mother was confused by the systems complications, moreover, she was single, homeless and poor and did her best to provide better treatment for her children. Hence, Option B. Both statements are false. The care and treatment that was supposed to be given to Deshwan by the medical professional, is a C. Professional negligence. A. Both statements are true.The condition of Deshwan must have been attended immediately, providing the utmost care, but this was neglected by the medical professional.
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