[Bioethical reflections on ill-considered care due to an early diagnosis of Alzheimer disease].
Early diagnosis of Alzheimer disease raises important bioethical issues. In the interval between early disease detection and symptom onset, there is a time in which the patient's autonomy, privacy, and dignity may be undermined by certain healthcare measures or by family care and support. These measures may eventually turn patients into an object of care, preventing them from accepting the disease, developing an identity, and rearranging their living spaces. Every effort should be made to ensure that care does not become compassionate harassment or an invasive act, annulling the patient's autonomy, identity, and self-determination.
Observatori de Bioètica i Dret, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, España.
M Jesús
MJ
Buxó
Observatori de Bioètica i Dret, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, España. Electronic address: mariacasado@ub.edu.
María
M
Casado
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D026688:Bioethical Issues; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005195:Family Relations; D006801:Humans; D026684:Personal Autonomy
Alzheimer disease; Bioethics; Bioética; Cuidados sanitarios; Diagnóstico precoz; Early diagnosis; Enfermedad de Alzheimer; Health care; Paternalism; Paternalismo