Medicine vs. religion: the case of Jehovah's Witnesses

When a Jehovah's Witness refuses to consent to needed medical treatment on religious grounds, a hospital's treatment team confronts a variety of ethical, legal, and medical dilemmas. This article explores the background and issues relating to cases in which Jehovah's Witnesses have refused treatment and discusses how the worker can effectively perform the tasks of case preparation, intervention, and advocacy with these clients.