18 October 2006
Conscientious Refusals by Health Professionals:
Should There Be Limits?
Robin F. Wilson, J.D., University of Maryland Law School
Theresa S. Drought, R.N., Ph.D., School of Nursing, UVA
Daniel G. Larriviere, M.D., Department of Neurology, UVA
James F. Childress, Ph.D., Institute for Practical Ethics, UVA
Conflicts of conscience aren't uncommon in health care. Sometimes professionals-physicians, nurses, pharmacists, emergency technicians-refuse on grounds of personal conscience to perform needed or requested services, such as emergency contraception, even though such services are legal. Are there ways to respect professionals' conscientious refusals and at the same time protect patients' needs and interests? What should be done when a balance of providers' and patients' interests cannot be achieved?
Co-presented with the Institute for Practical Ethics and Public Life