Treatment decisions in high-risk situations require a dynamic relationship between doctor and patient in which patient preferences and clinician recommendations contribute equally in shaping a final treatment decision.
High reliability organizations operate in complex, high-hazard domains for extended periods without serious accidents, catastrophic failures, or ecological health threats.
AMA J Ethics. 2024;26(2):E171-178. doi:
10.1001/amajethics.2024.171.
Dr Larry R. Churchill joins Ethics Talk to discuss his article, coauthored with Dr Gail E. Henderson and Professor Nancy M.P. King: “Why Climate Literacy Is Health Literacy.”
Lloyd Duplechan joins Ethics Talk to discuss his article: "How High Reliability Can Facilitate Clinical, Organizational, and Public Health Responses to Global Ecological Health Risks.”
The physician must help patients understand that all options—further testing, surgery, no action—carry risks and benefits. Disclosing the statistical probability of injury and other possible outcomes might help, but it can also hinder the process.