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Related Experiment Videos

Treatment decision making: who should decide?

J A Erlen1

  • 1Department of Health Promotion and Development, School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

Orthopedic Nursing
|November 14, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Competent adult patients should make their own medical treatment decisions because these choices are moral. Empowering patients involves education on values, autonomy, and decision-making processes.

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Area of Science:

  • Bioethics
  • Medical Decision-Making
  • Patient Autonomy

Background:

  • The ethical principle of patient autonomy is central to modern healthcare.
  • Traditionally, surrogate decision-makers have been appointed, raising questions about patient rights.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To argue for the inherent right of competent adult patients to make their own treatment decisions.
  • To explore the ethical basis for patient-centered medical decision-making.

Main Methods:

  • Ethical argumentation and philosophical analysis.
  • Review of literature on patient autonomy and medical ethics.

Main Results:

  • Treatment decisions are fundamentally moral choices, best made by the individual whose values are involved.
Keywords:
Bioethics and Professional EthicsProfessional Patient Relationship

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  • The principle of autonomy dictates that competent adults have the ultimate right to decide their medical care.

    • Conclusions:

    • Healthcare systems should prioritize and facilitate competent adult patients' active involvement in treatment decisions.
    • Recommendations include enhancing patient understanding of values and decision-making, fostering supportive environments, and advocating for patient rights.