Conscientious Objection, Not Refusal: The Power of a Word.

Linacre Q

Independent Author, WI, USA.

Published: August 2021

AI Article Synopsis

  • Conscientious objection (CO) in medicine originated to protect healthcare providers from performing abortions but has since expanded to various medical practices like sterilization and end-of-life care.
  • There has been an increasing amount of literature advocating against CO since 2006, with a trend in recent years referring to it as conscientious refusal.
  • The article posits that "conscientious objection" is a more accurate term because it reflects the thoughtful principles behind the decision, distinguishing it from the notion of refusing to provide care.

Article Abstract

Unlabelled: Conscientious objection (CO) in medicine grew out of the need to protect healthcare providers who objected to performing abortions after the decision in the 1970s which has since over time expanded to include sterilization, contraception, in vitro fertilization, stem cell research, and end-of-life issues. Since 2006, there has been a growing amount of published literature arguing for the denial of CO. Over the last three years, there has also been an increase in calling this conscientious refusal. This article will argue that the term conscientious objection is more accurate than conscientious refusal because those who object are not refusing to provide care. CO also emphasizes that there are reasoned arguments behind one's decision not to perform certain actions because of one's own principles and values.

Summary: How something is presented matters. Objection emphasizes the thought behind the action while refusal gives the impression that medical care is not given.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8375369PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00243639211008271DOI Listing

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