When the patient delivers a low-birth-weight infant that requires extensive time in the neonatal intensive, should she be held responsible? Where do we draw the line? More importantly, on what basis do we draw the line?
Sandra R. DiBrito, MD and Macey L. Henderson, JD, PhD
Organ donor potential should not be considered during active resuscitation of trauma patients, and trauma surgeons should not make organ donation requests.
AMA J Ethics. 2018;20(5):447-454. doi:
10.1001/journalofethics.2018.20.5.ecas4-1805.
Consideration of what constitutes sufficient information about how donation protocols can interfere with a patient’s dying process is a key feature of consent processes.
AMA J Ethics. 2018;20(8):E708-716. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2018.708.
The U. S. health care system encourages patients to take more responsibility for their own treatment decisions and expects their doctors to cooperate in that effort. But the guidelines for exercising that responsibility remain very murky indeed.
You are not just the rural patient’s doctor, you are the doctor for the football team, a friend, and perhaps a relative; you speak on health at local schools and are expected to attend fundraisers.