Against Medical Advice

Addressing Treatment Refusal

Luanne Linnard-Palmer, Ellen Christiansen

• Publisher: Sigma Theta Tau International
• Year: 2023
• Edition: 0
• eBook ISBN:
  9781646480524
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Nursing

When a patient or family refuses treatment— maybe even lifesaving treatment—because it is contrary to their social, religious, or cultural beliefs, it can plunge healthcare providers, families, and patients into a difficult, emotionally charged conversation. Complex and diverse ethical dilemmas such as this can profoundly impact the health, welfare, and mental and emotional well-being of everyone involved. What's more, today's nurses and healthcare professionals will almost inevitably face this situation or one like it. Against Medical Advice details many of the medical, legal, social, cultural, and religious factors associated with treatment refusals. Authors Luanne Linnard-Palmer and Ellen Christiansen prepare healthcare professionals to compassionately assess and understand people's beliefs, cultures, and philosophical perspectives. Their proven strategies and step-by-step examples guide providers to consider the patient's and family's point of view, share concerns with other healthcare team members, and negotiate the best possible outcome for all involved.

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Back Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Free Book Resources
• Acknowledgments
• Disclaimer
• About the Authors
• Table of Contents
• Foreword
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: When Medical Treatment and Patient Needs Clash
• Chapter 2: Overview and Reasons for Treatment Refusals
• Chapter 3: Childhood Vaccines, Hesitancy, and Refusals
• Chapter 4: Pediatric Healthcare, Ethics, and Children's Rights
• Chapter 5: Legal Implications and Consent: Informed Consent, Assent, and Parental Permission
• Chapter 6: Legal Perspectives of Treatment Refusal: Refusal Defined
• Chapter 7: In the Name of Religion: Historical Influences to Legal Exemptions
• Chapter 8: Adult Medical Treatment Refusals, Limitations, and Delays
• Chapter 9: Overview of Religious Doctrines
• Chapter 10: The Importance of Cultural Competence
• Chapter 11: Professional Groups' Reactions to Treatment Refusal: Nursing, Medicine, Researchers, and Journalists
• Chapter 12: Overview of Professional Interventions: Power Distance, Negotiation, and Safety
• Appendix A: Reasons for Parental Decisions to Refuse Medical Treatment
• Appendix B: Guidelines for Staff Facing Parental Refusal of Pediatric Vaccines or Medical Treatments
• Appendix C: Guidelines for Staff Facing Adult Refusal of Medical Treatments
• Appendix D: Loss of Parental Guardianship: Court Overriding of a Parent's Right to Refuse Medical Treatment
• Appendix E: Common Concerns About Vaccine Administration
• Appendix F: Pandemics and Trust in Rapid Vaccine Creation, Distribution, and Mandates
• Appendix G: Best Interest and the Law: Should State Statutes on Child Abuse Be Modified?
• Appendix H: Spiritual Abuse Defined
• Appendix I: Resources for More Information
• References
• Index