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Biomedical subjects

D C Thomasma

Publications and source records attributed to D C Thomasma.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

The ethics of caring for the older patient with cancer: defining the issues.

Cancer in any age group can be devastating. Elderly cancer patients, however, must face their own mortality while reflecting on their past life and the personal set of moral codes they have formulated over the years. This review examines these issues and reflects on "the dynamics of cancer," the way that these dynamics influence patient autonomy, and how disrupted autonomy creates suffering that is sometimes misunderstood by caregivers eager to prolong life--sometimes at any cost. Further, various routes open to patients and caregivers, including termination of therapy, aid in dying, and life-support systems, are discussed. Finally, the emotional and spiritual needs of patients, as well as their rights and freedoms, are examined.

Aged↗
PubMed1979

The basis of medicine and religion: respect for persons.

The nature of the physician-patient relationship underlies the professional's obligation to respect each person. Religion moves those involved in caring for the sick beyond professionalism to a profound sense of common humanity under the Father, of healing as a work of God, and of love as the primary bond with patients.

Catholicism↗
PubMed1979

Human values and ethics: professional responsibility.

Following professional codes does not automatically lead to ethical decision-making. Because the health professional makes a commitment to care for human beings and these persons are in a state of need which only expert advice can rectify, a professional decision requires ethical analysis of values. Such analysis engages the whole person in a process of self-reflection and critique of action, something a code of ethics does not provide. For health professionals, including nutritionists and dietitians, the insight is not just philosophical; it stems from the very nature of the profession.

Child↗