Pregnancy, autonomy and paternalism

Modern medicine is increasingly aware of the significance of patient autonomy in making treatment choices. This would seem to be particularly important where the therapy requested was "voluntary" as in fertility treatment or cosmetic surgery. However, the Hippocratic doctrine "Primum...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of medical ethics 1999-12, Vol.25 (6), p.537-540
Main Author: Lockwood, G M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
At the Coalface: Medical Ethics in Practice
Authoritarianism
Bioethics
Chronic diseases
Counseling - methods
Disclosure
Ethics, Medical
Female
Female fertility
Fertilization in Vitro - psychology
Freedom
Health Care Rationing
Humans
In vitro fertilization
Kidney Transplantation - psychology
Kidneys
Medical ethics
Paternalism
Patient Advocacy
Patient Participation
Patient Selection
Personal Autonomy
Preeclampsia
Pregnancy
Pregnant Women
Renal function
Reproductive sterilization
Resource Allocation
Safety
Womens health
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Summary:Modern medicine is increasingly aware of the significance of patient autonomy in making treatment choices. This would seem to be particularly important where the therapy requested was "voluntary" as in fertility treatment or cosmetic surgery. However, the Hippocratic doctrine "Primum non nocere", seems especially relevant where the treatment sought may have a low chance of a successful outcome or even be life-threatening. Mrs A's case demonstrates the difficulty faced by the physician who wants to maximise her patient's autonomy, but "Above all, do no harm".
ISSN:0306-6800
1473-4257
DOI:10.1136/jme.25.6.537