Taking off the white coat: can family members who are physicians be good surrogate decision-makers?
The challenges inherent in physicians treating members of their own families are well known. However, the issues related to physicians acting as surrogate decision-makers on behalf of relatives have not been addressed. The growing number of older persons will increase the need not only for healthcare resources, but also for physicians to act on behalf of incapacitated family members as surrogate decision-makers. In this paper, some of the clinical and ethical tensions evoked by physicians serving as surrogate decision-makers for family members are explored. Some recommendations for managing these tensions are suggested.
Issa
Amalia M
AM
Division of Medical Ethics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. aissa@siumeda.edu
D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D016265:Conflict of Interest; D003657:Decision Making; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D019727:Proxy; D020458:Third-Party Consent