Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: patient choice

  • Patient choice—Is it always appropriate?

    Denis ChenNewcastle-under-Lyme, United Kingdom  Beauchamp and Childress published Principles of Biomedical Ethics in 1979, introducing the “Four Principles” of medical ethics: beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice.1 They argued that “best” treatment depends on patient preferences and applied to all cultures and societies. These principles were philosophically underpinned by the duty-based ethics of Immanuel Kant (1724–1804)…

  • When good doctors have bad outcomes: improving clinical practice in a results-oriented environment

    Lloyd KleinChicago, Illinois, United States Making good judgments that are patient-centered and evidence-based seem straightforward when evaluated from the executive perch, but the practitioner in the trenches knows that despite an extensive knowledge base and vast experience the myriad decisions, large and small, which constitute daily practice pose abundant opportunities for error and misjudgment. As…