Coerced medical care means that the patient will or is having or has received medical care not by their own autonomous decision but because the legal system has decided, after consultation with the patient's doctors that such care must occur. Dr. Julie Cantor discusses the matter in a New England Journal of Medicine free full text article in the June14 2012 issue.
The first paragraph sets an example:
Samantha Burton was 25 weeks pregnant when her membranes ruptured. Burton's obstetrician admitted her to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (TMH) and prescribed continuous inpatient bed rest. But with two young children and a job to consider, Burton found the prospect of a 3-month hospital stay overwhelming. She decided to go home. When she tried to leave, authorities barred her exit.
Go and read the Journal article and then return with you own views regarding such legislative, medical or legal actions taken upon patients.
Under what circumstance do you find that a law or court decision should override any voluntary medical decision by the patient? Is it ethical to deny a competent patient's informed and autonomous decision? Is there a difference if the issue is regarding a communicable disease versus a pregnancy? ..Maurice.
