Open AccessTo Treat or Not To Treat: Who Should Decide?
Author(s) -
Laarhoven Hanneke W.M.,
Henselmans Inge,
Haes J. Hanneke C.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the oncologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.176
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1549-490X
pISSN - 1083-7159
DOI - 10.1634/theoncologist.2013-0258
Subject(s) - medicine , autonomy , patient participation , medline , clinical decision making , informed consent , intensive care medicine , alternative medicine , law , pathology , political science
The emphasis of the last decades on patients’ autonomy and patients’ rights to make decisions regarding their medical treatment may have obfuscated the fact that patients may not be able to make a decision. We advocate that an optimal medical decision is one that integrates information about the patient's clinical state and circumstances, the available research evidence, as well as the patient's values and preferences.