Transfusion Refusal and the Shifting Limits of Multicultural Accommodation

Area of Science:

• Medical Sociology
• Bioethics
• Health Law

Background:

• Refusal of blood products by Jehovah's Witness patients often highlights a conflict between religious beliefs and medical practices.
• Previous discourse has emphasized an intractable divide between religious and secular perspectives in healthcare settings.
• This study examines the practical accommodation of Jehovah's Witness patients within a pediatric research hospital.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the evolution of moral discourses surrounding Jehovah's Witness families over 70 years.
• To investigate how advancements in bloodless medicine have influenced patient accommodation.
• To explore the role of patient-derived capital in achieving recognition and compromise.

Main Methods:

• Discourse analysis of historical and contemporary texts.
• Qualitative interviews with relevant stakeholders.
• Examination of case studies within a major pediatric research hospital.

Main Results:

• Moralizing discourses concerning Jehovah's Witness families have shifted significantly over seven decades.
• Jehovah's Witness patients have actively utilized economic, human, and social capital to facilitate their accommodation.
• The study identifies specific conditions enabling understanding, collaboration, and compromise in healthcare.

Conclusions:

• Jehovah's Witnesses have successfully carved out space for accommodation through strategic resource mobilization.
• The findings offer insights into the dynamic nature of multicultural accommodation in healthcare.
• This approach may provide a model for other patient groups resisting conventional treatments.