Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014;14(6):4-16.
doi: 10.1080/15265161.2014.900139.

Patient and citizen participation in health: the need for improved ethical support

Laura Williamson  1
Affiliations
Free PMC article

Patient and citizen participation in health: the need for improved ethical support

Laura Williamson. Am J Bioeth. 2014.
Free PMC article

Abstract

Patient and citizen participation is now regarded as central to the promotion of sustainable health and health care. Involvement efforts create and encounter many diverse ethical challenges that have the potential to enhance or undermine their success. This article examines different expressions of patient and citizen participation and the support health ethics offers. It is contended that despite its prominence and the link between patient empowerment and autonomy, traditional bioethics is insufficient to guide participation efforts. In addition, the turn to a "social paradigm" of ethics in examinations of biotechnologies and public health does not provide an account of values that is commensurable with the pervasive autonomy paradigm. This exacerbates rather than eases tensions for patients and citizens endeavoring to engage with health. Citizen and patient participation must have a significant influence on the way we do health ethics if its potential is to be fulfilled.

Keywords: decision making; health policy; primary care; public health.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

References

    1. Abelson J. Forest P.G. Eyles J. Smith P. Martin E. Gauvin F.P. Deliberations about deliberative methods: Issues in the design and evaluation of public participation processes. Social Science and Medicine. 2003;57:239–251. - PubMed
    1. Arnstein S. A Ladder of citizen participation. Journal of American Institute of Planners. 1969;35(4):216–224.
    1. Ashton J. Seymour H. The new public health. Philadelphia, PA: Open University Press; 1990.
    1. Australian Government, National Health and Medical Research Council . Animal-to-human transplantation research: A guide for the community. Public consultation on xenotransplantation. 2003. Canberra, Australia.
    1. Bayer R. Stigma and the ethics of public health: Not can we but should we. Social Science and Medicine. 2008;67:463–472. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources