The case study of Mrs. S presents the reluctance of Mrs. S to obtain the surgery needed to fix her heart problems. The family support and good health of Mrs. S and her husband appears positive in every avenue of life. The refusal of Mrs. S declining the surgery is an example of autonomy and informed consent. The decision of the physicians to suggest surgery to replace the heart value seems logical based on her current health condition.
The principle of autonomy allows the patient to make decisions about their own health care options. This includes selecting no treatment even if the consequences can be fatal. This dilemma can be difficult for some medical professionals, but as long as the patient is competent they have the freedom to choose. (Cordasco, 2015) Mrs. S appears to be denying the problem based on the physicians opinion and is competent to make the decision.
Informed consent is required for any medical treatment barring any
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S does raise the possibility of higher risks for not doing the surgery, but not having any other health issues contributes to her decision to not take the risk of having the surgery. The physician is ethical in the decision to decrease Mrs. S anxiety. The physician made the correct call which is backed by the principle that the patient is assumed competent unless there is strong evidence to the contrary. Medical professionals may not agree with the patient’s decision but it must be respected to avoid issues.
Beauchamp TL, Childress JF. Principles of biomedical ethics. New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994
Garrett, T. (2010). Health care ethics: Principles and problems (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Entwistle, V., Carter, S., Cribb, A., & McCaffery, K. (2010, March 6). Supporting Patient Autonomy: The Importance of Clinician-patient Relationships. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
Rao, K. (2008). Informed Consent: An Ethical Obligation or Legal Compulsion? Retrieved September 4,