On the Ethics of Withholding and Withdrawing Unwarranted Diagnoses

Bibliographic Data

ID21598506
AuthorsBjørn Hofmann (0000-0001-6709-4265, University of Oslo, corresponding author), Marianne Lea (0000-0001-8583-911X, University of Oslo)
Year2023
Volume32
Issue3
Pages425-433
Publication date2023-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0963-1801 • E-ISSN: 1469-2147
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0963180122000172
PMID36524370
OpenAlexW4311678420
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited37

The number of diagnoses and the number of persons having diagnoses have increased substantially, and studies indicate that diagnoses are given or upheld even if they are unwarranted, that is, that they do not satisfy professionally accepted diagnostic criteria. In this article, the authors investigate the ethics of withholding and withdrawing unwarranted diagnoses. First, they investigate ethical aspects that make it difficult to withhold and to withdraw such diagnoses. Second, they scrutinize whether there are psychological factors, both in persons/patients and healthcare professionals, making it difficult to withdraw and withhold unwarranted diagnoses. Lastly, they use recent elements of the withholding-versus-withdrawing treatment debate in medical ethics to investigate whether there are any differences between withholding and withdrawing treatment and withdrawing and withholding unwarranted diagnoses. The authors conclude that it is crucial to acknowledge and address all these issues to reduce and avoid unwarranted diagnoses

Engineering ethics · Ethical issues · Medical diagnosis · Medical ethics · Psychiatry · Ethics in medical practice · Healthcare cost, quality, practices · Medicine · Mental Health and Psychiatry · Psychology

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