Presenter:  Rochelle Maurice, Clinical Ethicist, Centre for Clinical Ethics

"Can self-advocacy go overboard?  Examining the ethical issues at the intersection of patient self-advocacy and standard clinical practice"

Patients are empowered to be advocates for themselves as they partner with healthcare teams to address their clinical concerns. This gives patients the ability to control their treatment based on their personal needs and values. It also affects the relationship between patients and healthcare teams. This presentation will explore the ways in which patient self-advocacy influences the development and operationalization of treatment plans.

 Objectives:

- to examine the intended and unintended consequences of patient self-advocacy
- to explore scenarios where patient self-advocacy leads to requests for treatment that are on the margins of standard clinical practice
- to discuss the ethical tensions that arise when patient self-advocacy leads to conflict between the patient and the healthcare team​