The Moral of the Story
This ethical principle supports a patient's right to refuse life-prolonging treatment, even if it is against the advice of the medical team.
What is autonomy?
This ethical concept, distinct from a child's assent, grants an adolescent the legal right to make their own medical decisions in certain situations, even without parental consent.
What is a mature minor doctrine?
This ethical concept is the basis for a patient's right to information and their ability to make choices based on their personal values.
What is informed consent?
When a palliative care physician administers a high dose of morphine to alleviate suffering, knowing it may have the secondary, unintended effect of hastening death, they are invoking this ethical concept.
What is the principle of double effect?
This term describes the emotional and moral distress that arises when a professional knows the right course of action but is prevented from doing it due to institutional or other constraints.
What is moral distress?