6 Ethical aspects of an open safety culture: towards a new physician-patient relationship in 21st century medicine

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (Special Issue) ◽  
pp. 94-94
Author(s):  
Oana Maria Isailă ◽  
◽  
Sorin Hostiuc ◽  
Filip Curcă ◽  
George Cristian Curcă ◽  
...  

"Virtual reality (VR), initially a form of entertainment has begun to find its way in healthcare practice. One of its main areas of interest is the treatment of psychiatric disorders. When using VR, the basic ethical principles underlying the physician-patient relationship should be respected, but they should be customized by the presence of an additional layer of complexity generated by the interposition of the virtual world. The physician-patient relationship is often multidirectional, often including a larger team of healthcare professionals, family members or acquaintances, working conjointly to optimize the medical care. Each time other participants are involved within this relationship, the complexity of the ethical issues tends to increase. For example, if the patient has decreased insight, it is possible that other persons must make some medical decisions – resulting a prioritization of beneficence compared to autonomy. Also, we must take into account the fact that many psychiatric symptoms can be seen as a form of “virtual reality” by the patient. The healthcare provider must take additional safety measures to minimize the harms made by VR techniques in psychiatric patients, by using methods that are individually tailored. The main aim of this paper is to debate the ethical aspects surrounding the applicability of virtual reality in treating psychiatric patients, with an emphasis on the elements that were mentioned earlier. "


2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luigi Anolli ◽  
Fabrizia Mantovani ◽  
Alessia Agliati ◽  
Olivia Realdon ◽  
Valentino Zurloni ◽  
...  

1987 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fran Carnerie

AbstractMany individuals develop a temporary state of cognitive and emotional impairment after being diagnosed with catastrophic illness. Thus, when crucial decisions about medical treatment are required, they are unable to assimilate information; or worse, the legal need to be informed can rival a psychological desire to not be informed. The Canadian informed consent doctrine is unresponsive to crisis and clinically impracticable, and so paradoxically compromises the integrity and autonomy it was designed to protect. Many aspects of the physician-patient relationship and clinical setting also undermine the philosophical values enshrined in this doctrine. This further jeopardizes the individual's integrity. The Article explores proposals for change such as delaying the informing and consenting, improving the concept of consent, and improving the role of the physician.


2021 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2020-002764
Author(s):  
Catherine Owusuaa ◽  
Irene van Beelen ◽  
Agnes van der Heide ◽  
Carin C D van der Rijt

ObjectivesAccurate assessment that a patient is in the last phase of life is a prerequisite for timely initiation of palliative care in patients with a life-limiting disease, such as advanced cancer or advanced organ failure. Several palliative care quality standards recommend the surprise question (SQ) to identify those patients. Little is known about physicians’ views on identifying and disclosing the last phase of life of patients with different illness trajectories.MethodsData from two focus groups were analysed using thematic analysis with a phenomenological approach.ResultsFifteen medical specialists and general practitioners participated. Participants thought prediction of patients’ last phase of life, i.e. expected death within 1 year, is important. They seemed to find that prediction is more difficult in patients with advanced organ failure compared with cancer. The SQ was considered a useful prognostic tool; its use is facilitated by its simplicity but hampered by its subjective character. The medical specialist was considered mainly responsible for prognosticating and gradually disclosing the last phase. Participants’ reluctance to such disclosure was related to uncertainty around prognostication, concerns about depriving patients of hope, affecting the physician–patient relationship, or a lack of time or availability of palliative care services.ConclusionsPhysicians consider the assessment of patients’ last phase of life important and support use of the SQ in patients with different illness trajectories. However, barriers in disclosing expected death are prognostic uncertainty, possible deprivation of hope, physician–patient relationship, and lack of time or palliative care services. Future studies should examine patients’ preferences for those discussions.


1988 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert R. Jonsen

The activity of prescribing therapeutic drugs is one of the most significant features of the physician-patient relationship. This activity must be understood in moral, as well as technical terms. The ancient Greek word for drug had three meanings, providing the outline for an ethics of medication: remedy, poison and magical charm. Corresponding to these three meanings are three ethical principles: competence in therapeutic application, avoidance of harm and honesty.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document