Contribuții bioetice privind provocările autonomiei pacientului neurologic [Articol]

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the bioethical challenges related to the autonomy of the neurological patient, highlighting the specific difficulties encountered in medical decision-making and the research aims to: explore the impact of neurological conditions on decision-making capacity; analyze the main difficulties encountered in assessing and respecting the autonomy of patients with neurological diseases; develop strategies to optimize the decision-making process, respecting the principles of bioethics and patient rights. The article „Bioethical contributions on the challenges of neurological patient autonomy” analyzes patient autonomy from bioethical, philosophical, and medical perspectives, highlighting the complexity of this concept in neurological conditions. Autonomy, historically understood as rational self-governance or freedom of choice, is influenced by cultural, social, and biological factors. In the case of neurological patients, autonomy is often compromised by impaired cognitive functions, communication difficulties, and emotional fluctuations. The article highlights the ethical and clinical challenges associated with informed consent and medical decision-making in the context of neurological diseases. It also discusses the implications of new neuroscientific technologies and the conflicts between patient autonomy and the principle of nonmaleficence. Finally, bioethical strategies are proposed to balance respect for autonomy with the protection of patient health, through methods such as assisted decision-making, the involvement of legal representatives, and the use of advance directives.