March 2023 - What To Do When Your Patient Refuses Medical Treatment

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March 1, 2023
Alexia Torke, MD
Co-Sponsored by the IU Health Risk Retention Group

This lecture is eligible for CE credit until Sunday, April 2, 2023. After watching the lecture, please email [email protected].

Objectives:
1. Describe the ethical concepts of autonomy and informed consent.
2. Give reasons for honoring and overriding a patient’s refusal of medical treatment.
3. Demonstrate an approach to caring for a patient after treatment refusal.

Dr. Torke is a Professor of Medicine and Section Chief of Palliative Medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine. She is Director of the Evans Center at Indiana University Health, which conducts research and education on the role of religion and spiritualtiy in medicine. She is also a Research Scientist with the Indiana University Center for Aging Research at the Regenstrief Institute. Dr. Torke received her undergraduate degree from Carleton College and her M.D. from Indiana University. She completed residency in Primary Care-Internal Medicine at Emory University in Atlanta, GA and fellowship training at the University of Chicago from 2005-2007 in Primary Care Health Services Research and Ethics. She directed the Indiana University Health Ethics Fellowship for 10 years. Dr. Torke’s research focuses on spiritual, religious, ethical, and communication aspects of medical decision making for older adults. Her current research focuses on surrogate decision making for older adults with dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment. Dr. Torke practices palliative care at IU Health Methodist Hospital, where she cares for adults with serious illness, including Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and lung disease. In her spare time, she likes to hike, kayak and camp.

The Ethics Lecture Series is free and open to all. Continuing education credit is offered to physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and chaplains at no charge, regardless of their institutional affiliation. For additional information about the Charles Warren Fairbanks Center for Medical Ethics, please visit our website at www.fairbankscenter.org.