Health Sciences 2610F/G Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Shared Decision-Making In Medicine, Paternalism, Advance Healthcare Directive
27 Feb 2013
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Practical application of the principle of respect for patient autonomy. To consent freely patient must be of sound mind and must not be subject to any coercion or undue influence. Serves as an ethical basis for a patient-doctor relationship characterized by mutual respect and shared decision making. The greater the level of risk in refusing a treatment, the higher the level of competence should be for the patient to make a decision. Less competent a patient and the greater the risk in not intervening, the stronger reasons and justification there are for overriding a patients refusal. Some argue minimal competence is enough for a patient to consent to or refuse a treatment - if patient is competent to accept it they are also competent to refuse it. A terminal ill person who is in need of cpr from a stoke, the doctor is not obligated to perform it because it cannot restore her to normal functioning or prolong their life.
