Substituted judgement and the physician's ethical dilemma: with special reference to the problem of the psychiatric patient.
In recent judicial rulings involving use of medication against a patient's will, judges have turned to a special form of substituted judgment--legal guardianship--as a panacea for all problems in this area. The authors delineate, by means of hypothetical cases, some unresolved ethical dilemmas for physicians in these situations and suggest possible resolutions for them.
D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D007872:Legal Guardians; D008404:Massachusetts; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders; D010344:Patient Advocacy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence