Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

In whose interests? The best interests principle under ethical scrutiny.

R S Bailey1

  • 1Deakin University, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, Geelong, VIC.

Australian Critical Care : Official Journal of the Confederation of Australian Critical Care Nurses
|January 25, 2002
PubMed
Summary

The best interests principle in intensive care decisions is ethically complex due to inconsistent quality of life assumptions. An ideal theory of quality of life and family involvement can improve ethical decision-making for incompetent patients.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Case of Rape-Death the Consequence.

Western journal of medicine and surgery·2024
Same author

Commercially marketed supplements for bodybuilding athletes.

Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)·1993
Same author

The plight of rural hospitals: there's no single cure.

Health management quarterly : HMQ·1986
Same author

Residents' leadership styles and effectiveness as perceived by nurses.

Journal of medical education·1986
Same author

Accuracy of clinical estimates of tumor dimensions. A clinical-pathologic correlation study of posterior uveal melanomas.

Retina (Philadelphia, Pa.)·1985
Same author

Thin layer chromatographic analyses of amino acids in Echinostoma revolutum (Trematoda) adults.

International journal for parasitology·1977

Area of Science:

  • Medical Ethics
  • Critical Care Medicine
  • Bioethics

Background:

  • The best interests principle is frequently used in medical decision-making for incompetent patients.
  • Current application of this principle is challenged by subjective and inconsistent interpretations of 'quality of life'.
  • This ambiguity can lead to ethically problematic outcomes, including unwanted life extension or premature death.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically analyze the role and limitations of the best interests principle in intensive care treatment decisions.
  • To explore the ethical implications of using the best interests principle with varying definitions of quality of life.
  • To propose a framework for more ethically defensible decision-making regarding intensive care.

Main Methods:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Critical examination of the best interests principle in the context of intensive care.
  • Analysis of the concept of 'quality of life' and its impact on decision-making.
  • Philosophical argumentation for an ideal theory of quality of life.

    • Main Results:

    • The current application of the best interests principle is ethically vulnerable due to inconsistent quality of life assumptions.
    • Decision-making based on subjective quality of life can result in moral errors.
    • An ideal theory of quality of life offers a more robust ethical framework.

    Conclusions:

    • A clearer, ideal theory of quality of life is necessary for ethically sound best interests decisions in intensive care.
    • Involving patients' close family in the decision-making process is crucial.
    • Ethical justification of intensive care decisions requires a refined understanding of the best interests principle and quality of life.