2nd Edition

100 Cases in Clinical Ethics and Law

By Carolyn Johnston, Penelope Bradbury Copyright 2016
    308 Pages 1 Color Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    308 Pages
    by CRC Press

    A 30-year-old Polish lady is admitted in labour. This is her first pregnancy and she is full term. She is in a lot of pain, her liquor is stained with meconium and the trace of her baby's heart is classified as pathological. Her grasp of English is limited. You have been asked to obtain her consent for a caesarean section…

    100 Cases in Clinical Ethics and Law explores legal and ethical dilemmas through 100 clinical scenarios typical of those encountered by medical students and junior doctors in the emergency or outpatient department, on the ward or in the community setting. Covering issues such as consent, capacity, withdrawal of treatment, confidentiality and whistle-blowing, each scenario has a practical problem-solving element, encouraging readers to explore their own beliefs and values including those that arise as a result of differing cultural and religious backgrounds. Answer pages highlight key points in each case, providing advice on how to deal with the emotive issues that occur when practising medicine and guidance on appropriate behaviour.

    Making speedy and appropriate decisions, and choosing the best course of action to take as a result, is one of the most important and challenging parts of training to become a doctor. These true-to-life cases will teach students and junior doctors to recognize ethical and legal dilemmas as they arise, and to respond appropriately.

    ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
    Principlism
    Consequentialism
    Deontology
    Virtue Ethics
    Casuistry
    Narrative Ethics
    Rights and Duties

    ETHICS AND LAW IN CLINICAL PRACTICE: HOW TO DEAL WITH AN ETHICAL DILEMMA IN CLINICAL PRACTICE

    ETHICS AND LAW IN CLINICAL PRACTICE: BEGINNING OF LIFE
    In Vitro Fertilisation
    Same-Sex Parenting
    Surrogacy
    Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis
    Moral Status of the Foetus
    Termination of Pregnancy
    Conscientious Objection
    Pre-Natal Injury
    Neonatal Care: Legal and Ethical Issues


    ETHICS AND LAW IN CLINICAL PRACTICE: CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
    Parental Responsibility and Consent
    Parental Refusal of Treatment
    Request for Non-Therapeutic Treatment
    Assessing Competence in Children
    Underage Contraception
    Adolescent Refusal of Life-Sustaining Treatment
    Non-Engagement with Therapeutic Medication
    Withholding Information from a Child


    ETHICS AND LAW IN CLINICAL PRACTICE: CONSENT, CAPACITY AND REFUSAL OF TREATMENT
    Valid Consent to Treatment
    Adult Capacity to Consent to Treatment
    Consent and HIV
    Consent and Coercion
    Examination Under Anaesthesia
    Refusal of Treatment
    Consent and Emergencies
    Assessment of Best Interests
    Deprivation of Liberty


    ETHICS AND LAW IN CLINICAL PRACTICE: CONFIDENTIALITY
    Confidentiality
    Confidentiality and Children
    Access to Healthcare Information
    Confidentiality and HIV
    Use of Interpreters
    Disclosing Genetic Information
    Genetic Testing of Children for Adult-Onset Conditions


    ETHICS AND LAW IN CLINICAL PRACTICE: NEGLIGENCE
    Standard of Care and Negligence
    Provision of Information
    Out of Your Depth
    Reporting Concerns
    Making Mistakes and Incident Forms
    Complaints

    ETHICS AND LAW IN CLINICAL PRACTICE: MENTAL HEALTH
    When to Section a Patient Under the Mental Health Act
    Appropriate and Effective Treatment Under the Mental Health Act
    Medical Treatment for Patients with a Mental Health Disorder
    Conflict in Treatment Aims
    Treatment for Eating Disorders
    Personal Identity
    Self-Harm
    Covert Medication


    ETHICS AND LAW IN CLINICAL PRACTICE: PUBLIC HEALTH
    Patients’ Responsibility for Health and Resource Allocation
    Managing Patient Expectations
    Requests for Expensive Medical Treatment
    Prophylactic Surgery
    Screening Programmes
    Childhood Immunisation
    Professional Responsibility to Discuss Obesity
    Incentives for Treatment and Health Promotion
    Front-Line Staff and Flu Immunisation
    Overseas Visitors


    ETHICS AND LAW IN CLINICAL PRACTICE: ORGAN DONATION
    Organ Donation
    Posthumous Organ Donation
    Is There a Market for Living Organ Donors?
    Social Media and Organ Donation


    ETHICS AND LAW IN CLINICAL PRACTICE: END OF LIFE
    The Distinction between Acts and Omissions at the End of Life
    Quality of Life and Sanctity of Life Judgements
    Basic Care and Medical Treatment at the End of Life
    Provision of Futile Treatment
    Assisted Suicide
    Advance Decisions
    Advance Decisions and Attempted Suicide
    Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Orders
    Brainstem Death
    After Death – Coroners and Cremation Forms

    DUTIES OF A DOCTOR
    Compassion and Resilience
    Good Samaritan Acts
    Delegation and Handover
    Professional Responsibility toward an Abusive Patient
    Discharge against Medical Advice
    Child Safeguarding
    Treating Friends and Relatives
    Professionalism and Social Media
    Doctors and DVLA Regulations
    The Role of Clinical and Research Ethics Committees


    FAITH, VALUE AND CULTURE
    Medicalisation of Human Experience
    Jehovah’s Witnesses and Blood Transfusions
    Ramadan and Professional Responsibility
    Female Genital Mutilation
    Childhood Male Circumcision
    Disclosure of Diagnosis and Cultural Relativism
    Cultural Considerations in Post Mortem Examination
    Requests to See a ‘British’ Doctor
    Chaperones
    Professional Boundaries
    Ethical Issues on Elective
    Professional Experience of Illness

    Glossary of Terms

    Resources

    Biography

    Carolyn Johnston, LLB, LLM, MA, PhD, adviser in medical law and ethics, School of Medical Education, King's College London; senior lecturer, Kingston University; and member of the Institute of Medical Ethics Education Steering Group, UKPenelope Bradbury, MBBS, MA, BSc, MRCGP, GP partner at The Witterings Medical Centre, and GP associate in accident and emergency medicine, Chichester, UK100 Cases Series Editor:Janice Rymer, MD, FRCOG, FRANZCOG, FHEA, dean of student affairs and lead for Twinned Institutions, and professor of gynaecology, King's College School of Medicine, London, UK

    "I would highly recommend this book as an excellent introduction to medical ethics in clinical practice… The book’s strengths are its consideration of a wide range of ethical and moral issues that may arise inpatient care, well-targeted as its intended readership of medical students and junior doctors" – (Highly Commended, Basis of Medicine, BMA Medical Book Awards 2016)