Patient autonomy or patient confusion?

Patient autonomy or patient confusion?

A couple of weekends ago a friend, Richard, popped in for a cup of tea – a very fit, active septuagenarian who rides the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour every year and has recently started running. A few years ago he had a triple bypass. At the time, his cardiologist told him that, 'From today, you become a vegetarian ... '. According to Richard, the cardiologist told him to cut out eggs, butt...

Autonomy and the akratic patient.

I argue that the distinction which is current in much writing on medical ethics between autonomous and non-autonomous patients cannot cope comfortably with weak-willed (incontinent) patients. I describe a case involving a patient who refuses a blood transfusion even though he or she agrees that it would be in his or her best interests. The case is discussed in the light of the treatment of auto...

Failure of losing weight by acupuncture:Acupuncture failure or patient incompliance?

Losing weight by acupuncture is an old Chinese method. Nevertheless, many physician and even people don’t believe to it. The main goal of this study is effectiveness of acupuncture on obesity. This study includes some 40 patients aged 16-48 years, with male to female ratio 1 to 2, who fulfilled with obesity criteria of this study. On the base of Obesity syndrome of diagnosis the mains body poin...

Ethnicity and attitudes toward patient autonomy.

OBJECTIVE To study differences in the attitudes of elderly subjects from different ethnic groups toward disclosure of the diagnosis and prognosis of a terminal illness and toward end-of-life decision making. DESIGN Survey. SETTING Thirty-one senior citizen centers within Los Angeles County, California. RESPONDENTS A stratified quota sample of 200 subjects aged 65 years and older self-iden...

The Saikewicz decision and patient autonomy.