Decision Scenario - Should Doctors Take \'NO\' for an Answer? \"I don\'t want to

Question

Decision Scenario - Should Doctors Take 'NO' for an Answer?

"I don't want to be treated," Alice Nuvo said. "According to the statistics you gave me, even with the best treatment I've got no more than a 5% chance of surviving for another year." "Pancreatic cancer is a bad customer, "Dr. Cervando Lupe said, "I wish the numbers were better." "So why should I suffer the pain and nausea of chemotherapy and then radiation if I'm going to die anyway?" Alice snorted in contempt. "It's absurd. I'd rather spend the remaining time with my husband and two daughters then die in peace, instead of puking up my guts in some hospital." "We can use drugs to control the nausea from the chemotherapy,"Dr. Lupe said. "And we don't know that the statistics apply to you. They apply to a whole group of people, and I never tell a patient that she has a 5% chance." "Just give me something to control the pain and let me go home," Alice said. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

Question: Read the Scenario , "Should Doctors Take 'NO' for an Answer" and answer the following questions:

i) Does Dr. Lupe have an ethical obligation to try to convince Alice to undergo treatment? Why or why not?

ii) If Dr Lupe thinks Alice is amking the wrong decision, how far should he go to try to persuade her to accept the treatement?

iii) What methods are normally acceptable for getting patients to give their informed consent to treatment? What methods would be morally unacceptable?

iv) Is it possible to justify forcing treatment to someone who refuses it? Why or why not?

Explanation / Answer

(i)Dr. Lupe does have an ethical obligation to try convince Alice to undergo treatment however he must not force upon the patient to undergo treatment and his capacity would be limited to just make aware of the consequences if she undergoes treatment and without it.

ii) He can only try to convince and make her aware about her situation and the best decision she can take based on her medical conditions.

iii) Informed consent would only mean that the patient is made aware about her medical conditions in precise manner and all the consequences and results in all probability or treatment after which if the patient decide to go ahead than it shall be taken as consent.

iv) It is not justified to force someone for a treatment. However if the patient is not in the mental condition to give his or her consent and if the decision for right treatment would have been taken in good faith than yes patient can be forced to undergo treatment.

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