Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities (CBMH FK-KMK UGM) held Raboan Discussion Forum last Wednesday (17/5). The discussed topic on the forum was “Autonomy VS Paternalism”. CBMH FK-KMK UGM, as the organizer, invited Prof. Hans Van Rostenberge from University Sains Malaysia as the speaker. Meanwhile dr. Nur Azid Mahardinata moderated the online discussion forum.
There are four pillars of medical ethics: Autonomy, Beneficence, Non-Maleficience, and Justice. In the discussion, we focus on the first pillar, Autonomy. Medical paternalism, which involves making decisions for patients without their consent, was contrasted with non-paternalism in medicine. For example, a patient refusing a life-saving surgery raises questions about the Autonomy of parents in pediatric cases. Especially when dealing with severe conditions like newborns with severe jaundice and brain issues.
Shared decision-making can be used as an alternative to paternalism. In shared decision-making parents are actively involved in the decision-making process. The importance of presenting all the facts to parents and adopting an empathetic approach need to be more emphasized. Publishing mortality and morbidity figures of hospitals can be explored because it can help the public make informed choices and compare survival rates for conditions like heart disease. However, these figures have potential issues, such as hospitals avoiding severe cases to maintain better statistics.
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