Physicians should fully understand the ethical principles and professional standards involved in making decisions for the treatment of impaired newborns.
Physicians should understand and be sensitive to all of the issues that affect patients when they prescribe the tertogenic medication isotretinoin for treatment of acne vulgaris.
Physicians should be aware of the level of emotional distress and suffering that a patient is experiencing as a result of his or her illness and incorporate that into the patient's treatment plan.
Physicians should demonstrate compassion when the parent of an ill child asks the physician for his or her personal opinion regarding the parents' choice to continue experimental treatment when the prognosis is not good.
Physicians who treat children with Down's syndrome should ensure that their parents fully understand the children's capabilities and long-term prognosis and counsel them on the appropriate actions to take regarding their children's care.
Dr Katie Savin joins Ethics Talk to discuss their article, coauthored with Drs Laura Guidry-Grimes and Olivia S. Kates: “What Does Disability Justice Require of Antimicrobial Stewardship?”
Physicians need to manage expectations and clearly explain the prognosis of ICU patients to their families, particularly when the outcome is a negative one.
A summary of the legal cases that have set precedence for the rights of physicians and surrogates when life-sustaining treatment is withdrawn from patients who cannot make the final decision for themselves.
Parents' ability to make medical decisions for their children can be limited by state law if it is determined that the child's best interest is not being met.