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Should informed consent be based on rational beliefs?
1Green College, Oxford, Ohio, USA.
Journal of Medical Ethics
|November 14, 1997
Summary
Informed consent should include rational beliefs, not just information, to truly promote patient autonomy. Physicians should help patients think rationally to ensure autonomous decision-making.
Area of Science:
- Bioethics
- Medical Philosophy
Background:
- Current informed consent models prioritize information provision.
- Patient autonomy is a cornerstone of medical ethics.
- The link between belief, rationality, and autonomy requires further exploration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To expand the regulative ideal of informed consent.
- To argue that consent should be based on rational beliefs, not solely informed.
- To explore the role of rational deliberation in patient autonomy.
Main Methods:
- Philosophical argumentation
- Conceptual analysis
- Case illustration (Jehovah's Witnesses)
Main Results:
- Autonomy is promoted by holding true beliefs, which requires rational thinking.
- Information is valuable as it aids in forming true beliefs.
- Rational deliberation is as crucial as information in the consent process.
Conclusions:
- Physicians should assist patients in rational deliberation, not just provide information.
- Respecting patient autonomy involves fostering theoretical rationality.
- The practice of informed consent should integrate support for rational belief formation.