Religious, ethical and legal considerations in end-of-life issues: fundamental requisites for medical decision making
Religion and spirituality have always played a major and intervening role in a person’s life and health matters. With the influential development of patient autonomy and the right to self-determination, a patient’s religious affiliation constitutes a key component in medical decision making. This...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English English English |
| Published: |
Springer
2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/40697/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/40697/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/40697/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/40697/1/Article_Religious_Consideration_JORH.pdf http://irep.iium.edu.my/40697/7/40697_religious%2C_ethical_and_legal_scopus.pdf http://irep.iium.edu.my/40697/9/40697_Religious%2C_ethical_and_legal_considerations.pdf |
| Summary: | Religion and spirituality have always played a major and intervening role in a
person’s life and health matters. With the influential development of patient autonomy and the
right to self-determination, a patient’s religious affiliation constitutes a key component in
medical decision making. This is particularly pertinent in issues involving end-of-life decisions
such as withdrawing and withholding treatment, medical futility, nutritional feeding
and do-not-resuscitate orders. These issues affect not only the patient’s values and beliefs, but
also the family unit and members of the medical profession. The law also plays an intervening
role in resolving conflicts between the sanctity of life and quality of life that are very much
pronounced in this aspect of healthcare. Thus, the medical profession in dealing with the
inherent ethical and legal dilemmas needs to be sensitive not only to patients’ varying
religious beliefs and cultural values, but also to the developing legal and ethical standards as
well. There is a need for the medical profession to be guided on the ethical obligations, legal
demands and religious expectations prior to handling difficult end-of-life decisions. The
development of comprehensive ethical codes in congruence with developing legal standards
may offer clear guidance to the medical profession in making sound medical decisions. |
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