Aligning Ethics with Medical Decision-Making: The Quest for Informed Patient Choice |
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| Authors: | Benjamin Moulton Jaime S King |
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| Institution: | Lecturer in Health Law at Harvard School of Public Health and a Senior Legal Advisor at the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making.;Associate Professor of Law at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. |
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| Abstract: | Clinical evidence suggests that many patients undergo surgery that they would decline if fully informed. Failure to communicate the relevant risks, benefits, and alternatives of a procedure violates medical ethics and wastes medical resources. Integrating shared decision-making, a method of communication between provider and patient, into medical decisions can satisfy physicians' ethical obligations and reduce unwanted procedures. This article proposes a three-step process for implementing a nationwide practice of shared decision-making: (1) create model integration programs; (2) provide legal incentives to ease the transition; and (3) incorporate shared decision-making into medical necessity determinations. |
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