The Benefits of Informed Non-Dissent when Families have Difficulty Making a Decision

  • Mila Nortje Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
  • Sajid Haque Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
  • Nico Nortje Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA; Centre for Healthcare Ethics, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada; Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3660-2762
Keywords: Informed non-dissent, withdrawing, dignity, harms, family, surrogate decision-maker
Language(s): English

Abstract

Being a surrogate decision-maker is challenging for many people and having to decide to withdraw life sustaining therapies can be extremely difficult. Helping surrogates to refocus their decisions on informed non-dissent can greatly minimize unnecessary suffering for all involved. This case study describes how dignitary harm was minimized by using the concept of informed non-dissent.

Published
2022-12-09
How to Cite
[1]
Nortje M, Haque S, Nortje N. The Benefits of Informed Non-Dissent when Families have Difficulty Making a Decision. Can. J. Bioeth. 2022;5:94-5. https://doi.org/10.7202/1094702ar.
Section
Case studies