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?
The growing number of web-savvy patients alters the power dynamic in the patient-physician relationship. In the older model of care, physicians served as unchallenged experts who alone devised therapeutic plans for patients.
Being marked as an “other” outside of the circle of human concern expresses tension between principles of liberty and equality and exacerbates health inequity.
AMA J Ethics. 2021;23(2):E166-174. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2021.166.