TY - JOUR
T1 - Does a patient’s trauma history ethically justify a discriminatory clinical referral?
AU - Stone, John R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright 2019 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
PY - 2019/6
Y1 - 2019/6
N2 - This article analyzes a child psychiatrist’s referral approach when the patient’s care must be transferred to an adult psychiatrist and the otherwise best adult psychiatrist has “accented” language, which is associated with the patient’s prior trauma. The analysis considers the value of simplicity and a related “simplicity strategy,” revealing that many ethical factors lay behind the simplicity approach. The inquiry then addresses simplicity regarding practical wisdom and context. The paper argues that simplicity should mean considering just what’s relevant and no more. Applied to the case, simplicity includes respect for persons, openness, honesty, trustworthiness, beneficence, nonmaleficence, ethics of care, professional empathy, group inquiry, epistemic humility, and justice. An objection regarding undue complexity is noted and refuted.
AB - This article analyzes a child psychiatrist’s referral approach when the patient’s care must be transferred to an adult psychiatrist and the otherwise best adult psychiatrist has “accented” language, which is associated with the patient’s prior trauma. The analysis considers the value of simplicity and a related “simplicity strategy,” revealing that many ethical factors lay behind the simplicity approach. The inquiry then addresses simplicity regarding practical wisdom and context. The paper argues that simplicity should mean considering just what’s relevant and no more. Applied to the case, simplicity includes respect for persons, openness, honesty, trustworthiness, beneficence, nonmaleficence, ethics of care, professional empathy, group inquiry, epistemic humility, and justice. An objection regarding undue complexity is noted and refuted.
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U2 - 10.1001/amajethics.2019.493
DO - 10.1001/amajethics.2019.493
M3 - Article
C2 - 31204989
AN - SCOPUS:85068211820
VL - 21
SP - E493-E498
JO - AMA journal of ethics
JF - AMA journal of ethics
SN - 2376-6980
IS - 6
ER -