On competency, consent and emotional duress: a case study

This case study examines the matters of competency and informed consent in the case of a patient whose express-but potentially misguided-wishes conflict with medical opinion and the desires of the family. It considers the roles played by emotional, physical and circumstantial factors and attempts to reach a solution which is both consistent with medical ethics and feasible in a clinical setting. Also contains a brief review of Health Care Ethics in Canada, a Canadian bioethics textbook edited by Francois Baylis et al.