A U.S. study finds
religion and conscience often affect decisions physicians
make in telling patients about morally controversial medical
treatments.
The University of Chicago study suggests
many physicians feel no obligation to inform their patients
of such treatments or even to refer them to doctors who
do not object to such procedures.
Study author Dr. Farr Curlin said
not only does the medical profession appear to be divided
in its attitude about providing controversial practices
such as terminal sedation, abortion or birth control for
teens, but also in its judgments about what physicians
should do when patients request a legal procedure to which
the doctor objects.
The study found although 86 percent
of doctors surveyed felt obliged to present all options
in such cases, only 71 percent said they would feel obligated
to refer the patient to a doctor who did not object to
the requested procedure, and 63 percent believed it is
ethically permissible for a doctor to describe his or
her objection to the patient.
The study is detailed in the Feb.
8 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
