Resumo

CANETE VILLAFRANCA, Roberto; GUILHEM, Dirce  e  BRITO PEREZ, Katia. Medical paternalism. Rev. Med. Electrón. [online]. 2013, vol.35, n.2, pp. 144-152. ISSN 1684-1824.

The relationship between healthcare professionals and patients has been universally recognized as a corner-stone in the medical practice. Patient’s orientation and patient’s participation are important aspects of modern health care and should be taken into consideration in the context of decision-making. However, many patients leave the consultation with insufficient information about their diagnosis, prognosis, and treatments due to misunderstandings about ethical responsibilities among their doctors. Historically medical paternalism has forced practitioners to decide for their patients and this is still a common practice in most of the developing countries. Communicative competence and friendly environment should be important aspects of successful health-care.

Palavras-chave : bioethics; paternalism; equity; autonomy.

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