title: The Care of the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Patient.
abstract: The Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community embraces a system of values and a rigorous behavioral code that are deeply rooted in religious tradition and history. Here we describe some of the unique challenges that stem from the encounter between modern medical practice and the Ultra-Orthodox world. Through examples of clinical and ethical scenarios ranging from prenatal care to end-of-life decisions, we illustrate problems related to observance of age-old practices in a modern hospital setting, balancing acceptance of Divine will with standard risk assessment, reconciliation of patient autonomy with deference to rabbinic authority and fear of stigma associated with mental illness in a traditional society. We also offer a generalizable model where inquiry precedes pre-formulated judgment to help clinicians provide enhanced care for this population.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Medicine Section, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill-Cornell Medicine, 525 East 68th Street, Box 331, New York, NY, 10065, USA. ezg9002@med.cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Ezra
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gabbay
authors.affiliation: Hospital Medicine Section, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill-Cornell Medicine, 525 East 68th Street, Box 331, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Ethics, Department of Medicine, Weill-Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Fins
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007585:Jews / Q000523:psychology*; D007599:Judaism / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Cultural competence; Hospital medicine; Judaism; Orthodox Judaism; Religion and medicine