PubMed · 8367848
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L Tolhuijsen. 1993-08-15. [Arbitration].. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8367848/
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This article summarizes the body of research about ethical conflicts described by nurses in various fields of practice and recommends direction for the use and extension of this information. Twenty-three studies that fit criteria for inclusion were located. As a group, studies use inconsistent terminology, pay little attention to measurement characteristics of the instruments used, and do not use explanatory theory about how and why ethical conflicts develop or are experienced. Several studies of nurses practicing in community and home care settings, in intensive care units, and in administrative roles show some common areas of ethical conflict. Studies of ethical conflicts can be used as a basis for improving practice.
Critical care physicians are frequently called on to negotiate issues of medical management with patients, their families, and other physicians. These decisions frequently revolve around end-of-life care. Recent data suggest that such discussions are manageable. In one study, 57% of patients and surrogates agreed immediately to a physician's recommendation to limit intensive care and 90% agreed within 5 days, while multiple treating physicians came to consensus about such limits within 4 days in 92% of cases. If conflicts are rare, they are strongly felt. They arise when any one of the parties to a decision insists on continued care against the considered judgment of another. Since the alternative to aggressive ICU care is usually the death of the patient, it seems difficult to reconcile a physician's refusal to treat with patient autonomy. The concept of a fiduciary offers a model of the physician-patient relationship in which the physician commits himself to the patient's best interests but retains a role in defining those interests. This model offers significant benefits over medical futility in negotiating conflicts over end-of-life care.
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