title: The patient, the doctor, the fetus, and the court-compelled Cesarean: why courts should address the question through a bioethical lens.
abstract: Court-ordered Cesarean sections are a relatively recent phenomenon in the intersection of law and medicine. Existing jurisprudence utilizes a legal balancing test when addressing conflicts that arise between physicians and patients regarding obstetrical treatment and care. The authors contend that courts' analyses lack a fundamental element--a bioethical framework. Therefore, the authors believe that in order to better assess such conflicts, courts should incorporate a bioethical framework such as the Georgetown mantra to help complement their legal analyses.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chandis
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D001675:Bioethics; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics*; D011247:Pregnancy; D016312:Treatment Refusal; D014481:United States