PHL100Y1 Lecture Notes - Blood Transfusion, Down Syndrome, Paternalism
Document Summary
Medical decision-making: patient self-determination and deciding for others: Medical decision-making: patient self-determination and deciding for others. Support well-being in most effective way as possible. Ex. distribution of social resources, equality of treatments. Problem with appealing to these four principles of medical ethics: Doesn t consider patient s family, focuses on patient and physician. Ex. autonomous choice will trump physician s knowledge, such as religious choices. Principles are ambiguous how do we know if we re respecting autonomy, what is autonomy, how do we define beneficence, etc. Paternalism: the policy or practice on the part of the people in positions of authority of restricting the freedom and responsibilities of those dependent on them in their supposed interest (20). Ex. believing and trusting without question that the physician had knowledge the patient didn t. It s ok to impose a course of action as long as it serves the individual s best interest. Respecting patient autonomy involves respecting patient s medical choices.
