title: Physicians should treat mentally ill death row inmates, even if treatment is refused.
abstract: Competency to be executed evaluations are conducted with a clear understanding that no physician-patient relationship exists. Treatment however, is not so neatly re-categorized in large measure because it involves the physician's active provision of the healing arts. A natural tension exists between what practices may be legally permissible and what are ethically acceptable. We present an overview of the existing positions on this matter in the process of framing our argument.
authors.affiliation: Court of Appeals of Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McDonnell
authors.forename: Robert T M
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D002203:Capital Punishment; D003068:Coercion; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry / Q000941:ethics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008875:Middle Aged; D028701:Patient Rights / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011329:Prisoners / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology*; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States