[Human dignity and autonomy in medicoethical decisions at the end of life].

ABSTRACT: Respect of human dignity is an unquestionable part of daily clinical routine as well as of evaluations in medical ethics. Some aspects of human dignity are a subject of transformation in the course of a lifetime. If the ability to form a will is reduced, it might be difficult to satisfy the individual perception of a dignified treatment, which is of particular interest in terminal care. As illustrated by the presented case report, moral problems can arise when the patient's present verbal or non-verbal expressions are opposed to what is documented or what is estimated by dependants to be the individual's will. In clinical decision-making processes, the determination of the will via an advance directive can be overstated, which can go so far that human dignity is reduced to autonomy. A conc

SUBMITTER: Derler F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11499326 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature