Medical Treatment Obligations Essay

Improved Essays
Despite what many might think, a patient 's right to refuse medical treatment has a very important meaning in the lives of many. People who have medical complications must learn to work with doctors and or surgeons in hospitals. With having the right to refuse medical treatment patients feel as if they have more power over their own health and future. Even though surgeons are qualified in making medical treatment decisions, patients should have the right to refuse medical treatment options. Patients should have the right to consider all medical options based on risk factors, success and effectiveness, and their living-will.
Before patients make a fast, irrational decision, they should take the time to consider risk factors of the surgery. Enduring
…show more content…
Some medical cases are too much to handle or too complicated for a surgeon to take on and they can refuse to operate. Such as, surgeons have rejected the opportunity to operate on incapacitated ICU, or intensive care unit, patients who will surely die without the surgery. The patient would have a little increase in the chance of survival if the surgery was performed, but the surgeon refused to operate (Wicclair, White 34). In other medical cases, surgery may not be very beneficial in the first place. Researchers examined records of 1,450 patients in the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ compensation database who were known to have disc degeneration, disc herniation or radiculopathy, a nerve condition that causes tingling and weakness of limbs. Surgery was needed to fuse two or more vertebrae in hopes of curing lower back pain. Although they all had equivalent diagnoses, only half of the patients chose to have surgery performed and the remainder of the patients did not. Only twenty-six percent of those patients that had surgery, even two years later had not returned to work, which converts into a seventy-four percent rate of failure. In addition, it concludes that they have a better possibility of going back to work if they decline the surgery in the first place (Nguyen, Randolph, Talmage, Succop, Travis …show more content…
To stop undesirable medical interventions, researchers have put forward a so-called “living will” or “natural death” law. The main purpose of this law is to provide capable people with a service to set forth a document, known as a “living will”, which states what the patient does and does not want done to them medically if they become mentally incompetent (The Right to Refuse 918). Each situation is different, but in most cases, when the patient is incompetent or unable to establish their own decisions, they have the right to appoint another person to request a medical treatment decision for them (The Right to Refuse 918). Additionally, in spite that different laws vary, a common law permits patients to direct the withholding or withdrawal of medical treatment if the patient becomes incurable (The Right to Refuse 918). This is an essential document to have under any medical conditions, so that surgeons and family members do not have to guess, what the patient would and would not want done to them. As expressed, a living will can be a very important segment to a patient 's medical health and overall decision

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    There is an ethical debate on whether a physician must disclose the risks associated with a procedure to a patient. A physician’s duty is to tell the patient all the information he or she needs in order to give informed consent for the procedure. However, if a physician believes that disclosing the risks accompanying a procedure may be harmful to a patient’s health, they are not required to divulge that information. Even though there are both pros and cons to the action stated, a physician’s job is to provide the best standard of care for the patient.…

    • 703 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Phr209 Discussion 1

    • 533 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Discussion One Brenda Doering PHR209 Andrea Chan Part 1: Chapter 10 discusses the mechanism of drug interaction and contributing factors. Read Chapter 10 and in your own words explain why surgical patients and patients hospitalized for infections are considered high risk for drug-drug and/or drug-food interactions. Part 2: Next, find an article in a medical journal or on a drug information website that involves one or more patients experiencing a severe drug interaction. Discuss how the article or research affects patient risk associated with drug-drug and/or drug-food interactions.…

    • 533 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The article, “When Evidence Says No, but Doctors Say Yes,” by David Epstein analyzes how doctors use treatments and procedures by demand or because they have been using them for so long. He presents the argument as to why these treatments can do more harm than good, and why doctors need to look at the evidence about the treatments to make sure they are actually beneficial. Epstein talks about two patients, and how in both stories neither of the patients needed stents. By doing some research and looking at treatments that can be done before surgery, one patient escaped with his life intact. The other patient; however, passed away after being hospitalized for a period of time.…

    • 1985 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When you go to the hospital, people are everywhere. Most of the people are patients. These patients have rights when they are at the doctor. The patients’ rights are important to doctors and patients. All of these rights should be respected and patients should have all these rights shown to them.…

    • 2020 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    AAOMS Sample Paper

    • 815 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Data for this study were derived from an AAOMS Outcomes Assessment Project study of anesthesia and third molar extractions in private practice oral and maxillofacial surgery offices. A randomly selected sample of 300 OMS were instructed to enter data on all eligible patients they treated during a one month period. This study has two study samples, a surgeon sample and subject sample. The surgeon sample was composed of OMSs randomly selected from the population of AAOMS members between June, 2011 and May, 2012, stratified by census regions (midwest, northeast, south, west).…

    • 815 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Medicalization Essay

    • 525 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Question C The concept of medicalization was one that I didn’t understand right away. At first, I didn’t understand why interest and research from medical professionals was inherently bad, but I’ve come to understand that that’s not what medicalization is. Medicalization is not only objectifying in a lot of ways, but it also can alienate people from their own bodies.…

    • 525 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Shortly after the turn-of-the-century, nearly two-thirds of the states enacted laws that required sterilization of various criminals, mentally ill patients, epileptics, alcoholics, and people that were poor (Largent, 2011). All of this effort was exerted to prevent undesirable children from being born. It was justified by the assumption that these unfit people aren’t capable of adequate parenting; therefore their offspring could be a financial burden on society. Strong ideals and goals were the weapons chosen by eugenicists to get involuntary sterilization legalized. For the purposes of this paper, this author will focus on the topic of forced sterilization in America.…

    • 1555 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    My Disturbed Sfoliosis

    • 394 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Also that a result of being hunched back would delay activities I would usually to a daily basis. Dr. Knockles explained that surgery would be my best bet to continue the life I was accustomed to.…

    • 394 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    “Surgery Cancellation Rates” : Performing surgery is one of the main healthcare services at our hospital as an acute care centre. The cancellation of surgeries is one of the main causes of inefficient use of limited healthcare resources. Also, they are a financial and emotional burden for the patients and have a negative impact on quality of care at the hospital…

    • 61 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    While some cardiac surgeons or cardiologists feel it is not their role to decide whether or not they should operate on these patients. Most would not argue that clinicians should be good stewards of medical care and to not utilize valued resources when they would likely not result in much benefit. Indeed, health care is a limited resource and someone ultimately has to fund it. Inappropriate procedures or those that are likely futile not only lead to worse patient outcomes, but also to rising cost, can eventually limit access to…

    • 1693 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Surgical Interventions

    • 506 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Studies have shown that cancellation of planned or scheduled surgical interventions is a long standing issues for hospitals (Bass and Gill 2014). They reflect inefficient, and ineffective management use of the operating theatre (Zafar 2007). Failure to follow the surgical lists contravenes patient safety initiatives. Theatre cancellation is a simple task to do but it can have serious consequences to patients or their families. It has a negative impact on patients.…

    • 506 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    ntroduction The Legal right to die describes in any situation of an adult who is in state of sound mind to decide about his or her treatment to be continued or not, where such voluntary, informed decision is made, should be recognized and respected. According to Lord Goff of Chieveley in 1993, at p. 864, in Airedale NHS Trust versus Bland [1993], the House of Lords held that “The principle of self-determination requires that respect must be given to the wishes of the patient. If an adult patient of sound mind refuses, however unreasonably, to consent to treatment or care by which his life would or might be prolonged, the doctors responsible for his care must give effect to his wishes, even though they do not consider it to be in his best interests to do so. […] To this extent, the principle of the sanctity of human life must yield to the principle of self-determination”.…

    • 832 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This is what led to the lack of the patient's ability walking or doing a lot of matters just like any normal person, which making him either to use a wheelchair, or to stay on the bed. When you go to the last point, find that the majority of patients conducting operations to lose weight for improving their outward appearance. Which makes his body free from Extra Pounds and emergence of facial and body at its best features. Also, making the patient very seriously to try to get people receptive his appearance and wearing smaller sizes than they were unaccustomed to…

    • 1175 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    “Does Plastic Surgery Really Boost Self-Esteem?” There’s no question that many people are getting surgery these days. Because of pressure that society gives for people to look good and due to the negative connotation for normal aging in America, millions turn to cosmetic surgery each year. Rhinoplasty, liposuction, breast enlargements and breast reductions are the most common procedures.…

    • 1029 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Janene Carey’s mother was battling a terminal illness that had spread through her whole body. Janene took care of her mother as she slowly deteriorated at the hands of cancer. As time went on the cancer got more aggressive and eventually her mother was unable to talk, eat on her own, walk, and was bedridden (Northern Daily Leader, 2014). This is not a life; this is patiently waiting for the inevitable to happen, all while a person slowly loses themselves. Unfortunately, the terminally ill are forced to live their lives out no matter how long this painful process may take.…

    • 1406 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays