Document Detail


Advance directives outside the USA: are they the best solution everywhere?
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  9271918     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
This article evaluates the potential role of advance directives outside of their original North American context. In order to do this, the article first analyses the historical process which has promoted advance directives in recent years. Next, it brings to light certain presuppositions which have given them force: atomistic individualism, contractualism, consumerism and entrepreneurialism, pluralism, proceduralism, and "American moralism." The article next studies certain European cultural peculiarities which could affect advance directives: the importance of virtue versus rights, stoicism versus consumerist utilitarianism, rationalism verus empiricism, statism versus citizens' initiative, and justice versus autonomy. The article concludes by recognising that autonomy has a transcultural value, although it must be balanced with other principles. Advance Directives can have a function in certain cases. But it does not seem adequate to delegate to advance directives more and more medical decisions, and to make them more binding everyday. It is indispensable to develop other decision-making criteria.
Authors:
M A Sanchez-Gonzalez
Related Documents :
2747448 - Characterizing physicians' perceptions of ambiguity.
19884978 - Antidepressant-coincident mania in children and adolescents treated with selective sero...
15959648 - Genetic evaluation and counseling of couples with recurrent miscarriage: recommendation...
3464878 - Medical treatment of severely impaired infants in new zealand hospitals.
12580198 - Of euphemisms and euthanasia: the language games of the nazi doctors and some implicati...
21286808 - Flower power: the armoured expert in the canmeds competency framework?
Publication Detail:
Type:  Historical Article; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Theoretical medicine     Volume:  18     ISSN:  0167-9902     ISO Abbreviation:  Theor Med     Publication Date:  1997 Sep 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1997-09-09     Completed Date:  1997-09-09     Revised Date:  2006-11-15    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8405140     Medline TA:  Theor Med     Country:  NETHERLANDS    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  283-301     Citation Subset:  E; IM; Q    
Affiliation:
Department of History of Medicine, School of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Advance Directives* / history,  legislation & jurisprudence
Beneficence
Contracts
Cultural Diversity*
Ethical Relativism
Ethics, Medical
Europe
History, 19th Century
History, 20th Century
Informed Consent / history
Internationality*
Morals
Patient Rights
Personal Autonomy*
Personhood
Philosophy / history
Politics
Resource Allocation
Risk Assessment
Secularism
Social Responsibility
Social Values*
Trust
United States
Virtues
Withholding Treatment

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  Persistent vegetative state: a presumption to treat.
Next Document:  Preventing teen pregnancy. It's time to stop kidding around.