Trainee Moral Distress in Capacity Consultations for End-of-Life Care

The dilemma of patients ’ capacity to refuse medical care occurs frequently in inpatient settings and often involves a psychiatric consultation (1,2). Though end-of-life decisions are generally considered the realm of palliative care specialists and ethics committees, consultation psychiatrists may play a role in these c omplex situations as well (3). Resolving a clinical dilemma that clearly precipitates withdrawal of treatment and patient death, or which results in additional suffering over a patient's objections, may present a moral burden to the psychiatrist tasked with a consult for capacity to refuse treatment .

Source: Psychosomatics - August 9, 2018 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Caroline S. Bader, Marta D. Herschkopf Source Type: research