Rethinking Consent of Children Under 14 with Complex Medical Conditions in Light of Medical and Technological Advances in Quebec Using Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Approach
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7202/1124211arKeywords:
consent, agreement, ecosystem approach, Bronfenbrenner, relational ethics, complex medical condition, QuebecLanguage(s):
FrenchAbstract
Medical and technological advances have improved the survival rates of children with serious, complex, and incurable diseases. However, these advances have been accompanied by increasingly complex decisions regarding medical care for these children, for whom parents or guardians are generally the primary decision-makers. In this article, we propose rethinking the consent of minors under the age of 14 by incorporating Bronfenbrenner’s ecosystemic approach. This theory allows us to examine the influence of family, social, and institutional contexts on the ability of children to participate in medical decisions. We conclude that taking these factors related to children’s consent into greater consideration could transform the decision-making process from a dichotomous to a more dialogical approach, allowing children to actively participate in medical decisions that affect them.
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