Idaho just became the latest state to enact a statute granting healthcare professionals and healthcare entities a broad right to refuse any treatment, procedure, or service that would violate their sincerely held religious, moral, or ethical beliefs.
Similar bills are already law in Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Ohio, and South Carolina. A dozen other states are considering similar legislation this year (including CO IA KY MN OK TX VA WY).
Hi, Dr. Pope. Does this mean a physician can overrule a DNR if they don't agree with it?
ReplyDeleteHi, Dr. Pope. Does this mean a physician can overrule a DNR if they don't agree with it?
ReplyDeleteTypically, CBO laws are framed in terms of OMISSION. The clinician or entity can REFRAIN from participating in a procedure. The DNR situation is flipped. So, here the clinician objecting to DNR would actively participate (in CPR) rather than passively refrain. But healthcare decisions acts in most states already permit violating DNR when certain conditions are satisfied. So, that long-accepted logic should apply here too, assuming the specific statutory language does not preclude that.
ReplyDelete