Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications
Language
English
Publication Date
12-1-2023
Journal
HEC Forum
DOI
10.1007/s10730-021-09468-2
PMID
34994915
Abstract
Every clinical ethics consultant, no matter their own spirituality, will meet patients, families, and healthcare professionals whose spiritualities anchor their moral worldviews. How might ethicists respond to those who rely on spirituality when making medical decisions? And further, should ethicists incorporate their own spiritual commitments into their clinical analyses and recommendations? These questions prompt reflection on foundational issues in the philosophy of medicine, political and moral theory, and methods of proper clinical ethics consultation. Rather than attempting to offer definitive answers to these questions, this essay prompts readers to consider their own answers to these questions. Specifically, it offers a taxonomic analysis of six (6) distinct responses: assessment, delegation, examination, translation, incorporation, and assertion. Furthermore, this essay describes the role of the ethicist's own spiritual commitments during the responses. Each section also names several strengths and weaknesses that ethicists ought to consider when evaluating the purpose and scope of each response. This paper prompts readers to consider circumstances under which they might promote, critique, or incorporate spiritual worldviews-their own and those of their patients-when offering clinical analyses and recommendations.
Keywords
Humans, Ethicists, Decision Making, Ethics, Clinical, Morals, Philosophy, Clinical ethics, Medicine, Methods, Public reason, Religion, Spirituality
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Trevor M Bibler, "Responding Well to Spiritual Worldviews: A Taxonomy for Clinical Ethicists" (2023). Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications. 344.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/med_ethics/344