Conscientious objection and compromising the patient: Response to Hughes

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Healthcare Policy

Background:

• Conscientious objection in medicine is a complex ethical issue.
• Hughes proposed a consequentialist compromise for accommodating objections while ensuring patient access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of Hughes's compromise for conscientious objection in medicine.
• To determine if the proposed accommodation ensures unimpeded patient access to care.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of existing jurisdictions where similar compromise propositions have been implemented.
• Assessment of the impact on patient access to medical services.

Main Results:

• The compromise proposition has been implemented in various jurisdictions but has consistently failed.
• Unimpeded patient access to care was not achieved, as objectors actively hindered access to services.

Conclusions:

• Hughes's compromise is unrealistic and ineffective in practice.
• The inherent determination of objectors to subvert patient access undermines any accommodation.
• Future medical advancements further complicate the feasibility of such compromises.