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JH Salon: Can med professionals opt-out of procedures they don’t agree with?
April 7 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
This month we will explore the question: **Do medical professionals have the right to not participate in procedures they don’t agree with?**
Medical doctors take the [Hippocratic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath) oath and other oaths when they become physicians, agreeing to a set of ethical standards in their medical conduct. In part, the Hippocratic oath states, “I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgment, but I will never use it to injure or wrong them”. The oath obliges the physician, based on their ability and judgment, to benefit the patient. This is the principle of beneficence. The Oath also places on the physician the obligation not to harm the patient.
With this in mind, are their times when a physician or medical professional goes against their oath when they refuse to provide medical treatments they don’t believe in, for moral, ethical or religious reasons, even when it might be harmful to the patients if they don’t act? There are many current instances where doctor’s have chosen to not perform an abortion, for example, even when a patient’s life is at stake. In addition, when it is clear that a patient’s medical condition is such that they have no chance of recovering or that they prefer to end their life on their own terms, doctors have been unwilling to provide the means for assisted suicide, even when it might be allowed by the laws of their country or state.
Often a patient might have more than one option for treatment and choose one that the physician doesn’t agree with. Does the respect of patient autonomy and informed consent, obligate the doctor to perform the procedure, or do their personal ethics supersede the ethics of their profession?
Join us online on Monday, April 7th at 7 pm to discuss this question.
PLEASE BE SURE TO RSVP on Meetup or email [email protected] to get the Zoom link. Attendance is restricted to the first 20 people who RSVP.
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ABOUT THE JH SALON
Much like the salons of France during the Enlightenment, we will discuss a variety of topics and lubricate the discussion with a few libations. Topics will be worded as questions and can be related to science, sociology, politics, philosophy, history, ethics and more. Attendees are not required to read anything in particular before the discussion, but it certainly helps to do some study before the discussion to be able to make a coherent argument and back it up.
A few JH Salon ground rules:
* Respect others and their opinions.
* Don’t come with a personal axe to grind
* Criticize ideas, not individuals.
* Don’t make personal attacks.
* Allow everyone the chance to speak.
* Don’t take things personally.
* Listen actively and with an ear to understanding others’ views.
The JH Salon will be held on the first Monday of every month.
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“THE AIM OF ARGUMENT, OR OF DISCUSSION, SHOULD NOT BE VICTORY, BUT PROGRESS.” ~ Joseph Joubert
