How Should Clinicians Navigate Decision Making for Unrepresented Patients?

Timothy M Dempsey; Erin Sullivan DeMartino

doi:10.1001/amajethics.2019.559

How Should Clinicians Navigate Decision Making for Unrepresented Patients?

AMA J Ethics. 2019 Jul 1;21(7):E559-565. doi: 10.1001/amajethics.2019.559.

Authors

Timothy M Dempsey¹, Erin Sullivan DeMartino²

Affiliations

¹ A fellow and assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
² An assistant professor of medicine and a physician in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

PMID: 31333170
DOI: 10.1001/amajethics.2019.559

Abstract

Caring for patients who lack decision-making capacity is common in health care and presents numerous practical and ethical challenges. Unrepresented patients are vulnerable in part because they do not have anyone to help articulate their values and preferences, and they cannot do so themselves. This commentary suggests a deliberative approach to responding to these patients' needs.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Aged
Decision Making / ethics*
Ethics Consultation
Female
Humans
Legal Guardians
Patient Advocacy / ethics*
Patient Care Team / ethics*
Proxy