Case Study Patient Refuses Blood

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Recommended: Autonomy in medicine

Patient refuses blood

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The ethical and legal issues raised in this case are related to autonomy and beneficence. In health care, autonomy is the right of a competent patient to make informed decisions about the type of health care they would like to receive. This principle is founded on the concept of obtaining consent from the patient before administering any medication or medical procedure. Autonomy provides that a patient who has no mental incapacity has the right to decide whether to agree to medical treatment. This right is not restricted to what others consider as sensible provided the patient has the capacity to make the decisions.
A patent can only make an autonomous decision if they have the capacity to make rational decisions and the decision is not influenced by external constraints. The patient’s decision will be regarded as autonomous if the patient has the capacity to make decisions, has enough information to make the decision and makes the decision voluntarily. Patients who do not have the capacity to make decisions either due to mental issues or loss of consciousness cannot make autonomous decisions about the medical treatment they will receive. In such cases, it is the duty of the doctor to act …show more content…

Beneficent acts aim at improving the condition of the patient. It obligates the doctor to act in a manner that furthers the interests of the patient. It follows that the doctor should not inflict harm on the patient, prevent harm, remove harm and promote good. The goal of any medical treatment is to promote the welfare of the patients. Doctors have the capacity to promote the welfare of the patients and as such, their actions should be guided by beneficence. Due to their relationship with the patients, doctors are required to prevent harm as well as weigh the benefits of medical interventions against the risks associated with the procedures (Gillon,

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