Should doctors provide futile medical treatment if patients or their proxies are prepared to pay for it?
Ethically and legally doctors are not obliged to provide futile treatment to patients, even if the patient or their proxies are prepared to pay for it. However, it may be justified where such treatment is harmless and has a placebo effect. In deciding about a request for futile treatment, doctors sh...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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South African Medical Association
2017-02-01
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| Series: | South African Medical Journal |
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| Online Access: | http://www.samj.org.za/index.php/samj/article/view/11798/7953 |
| _version_ | 1797369506893398016 |
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| author | D J McQuoid-Mason |
| author_facet | D J McQuoid-Mason |
| author_sort | D J McQuoid-Mason |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ethically and legally doctors are not obliged to provide futile treatment to patients, even if the patient or their proxies are prepared to pay for it. However, it may be justified where such treatment is harmless and has a placebo effect. In deciding about a request for futile treatment, doctors should be guided by the ethical principles of patient autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice. Guidelines are provided to assist doctors in making such decisions. Where futile treatment is withdrawn or refused, palliative care must always be offered. If it is
decided to withdraw or refuse treatment, the patient or their proxy should be given the opportunity to contact another practitioner or institution that may be prepared to offer such treatment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T17:47:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2258134c9b7f4ab4b5f853d59ef9b098 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0256-9574 2078-5135 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T17:47:47Z |
| publishDate | 2017-02-01 |
| publisher | South African Medical Association |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Medical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-2258134c9b7f4ab4b5f853d59ef9b0982024-01-02T10:01:01ZengSouth African Medical AssociationSouth African Medical Journal0256-95742078-51352017-02-01107210810910.7196/SAMJ.2017.v107i2.12191Should doctors provide futile medical treatment if patients or their proxies are prepared to pay for it?D J McQuoid-Mason0Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South AfricaEthically and legally doctors are not obliged to provide futile treatment to patients, even if the patient or their proxies are prepared to pay for it. However, it may be justified where such treatment is harmless and has a placebo effect. In deciding about a request for futile treatment, doctors should be guided by the ethical principles of patient autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice. Guidelines are provided to assist doctors in making such decisions. Where futile treatment is withdrawn or refused, palliative care must always be offered. If it is decided to withdraw or refuse treatment, the patient or their proxy should be given the opportunity to contact another practitioner or institution that may be prepared to offer such treatment.http://www.samj.org.za/index.php/samj/article/view/11798/7953Medical treatmentProxiesPatientsPay |
| spellingShingle | D J McQuoid-Mason Should doctors provide futile medical treatment if patients or their proxies are prepared to pay for it? South African Medical Journal Medical treatment Proxies Patients Pay |
| title | Should doctors provide futile medical treatment if patients or their proxies are prepared to pay for it? |
| title_full | Should doctors provide futile medical treatment if patients or their proxies are prepared to pay for it? |
| title_fullStr | Should doctors provide futile medical treatment if patients or their proxies are prepared to pay for it? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Should doctors provide futile medical treatment if patients or their proxies are prepared to pay for it? |
| title_short | Should doctors provide futile medical treatment if patients or their proxies are prepared to pay for it? |
| title_sort | should doctors provide futile medical treatment if patients or their proxies are prepared to pay for it |
| topic | Medical treatment Proxies Patients Pay |
| url | http://www.samj.org.za/index.php/samj/article/view/11798/7953 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT djmcquoidmason shoulddoctorsprovidefutilemedicaltreatmentifpatientsortheirproxiesarepreparedtopayforit |