Rehab and self determination.

Abstract

Recent knowledge that personal well-being is related to lifestyle has brought health promotion and disease prevention strategies to the fore. Tremendous responsibility is placed on health care workers as they influence the process of human well-being and aid in altering health-damaging behaviors. Under the Hippocratic ethic that dominates health care, the potential for abuse of this influence is tremendous. This paternalistic ethic "leaves no room for the principle of self-determination--a principle at the core of liberal Western thought." When a patient's views about his or her best interest conflict with the views of the professional, the Hippocratic ethic would urge the dominance of the professional's viewpoint.