Beneficios del ejercicio de la autonomía y consentimiento informado: Ejemplo de los Testigos de Jehová / Benefits from the exercise of autonomy and informed consent: The example of Jehovah's Witnesses

The respect for self-determination has represented a great challenge for the medical community. This debate has resulted in laws, codes of ethics, international treaties, and administrative guidelines, all with the purpose of protecting such right. In the medical field, the "Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with Regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine: Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine", known as the Oviedo Convention plays a crucial role. The doctrine of Informed Consent (IC) exists to enforce it. This principle is considered as ¡aw in some countries. In Chile, the IC is considered in the legal ordinance and in documents that are used as guidelines in the field of ethics. Jehovah s Witnesses invoke such precepts when they demand respect for their decisions. The present article outlines their position regarding blood transfusions and their contribution to the practice of bloodless medicine and surgery, which promotes the respect for patient's self determination. The experience of Jehovah's Witnesses has lead to a dignified treatment of the patient and has promoted a better participation in decision-making, focusing on the patient. All these benefits can be conveyed to other patients, resulting in the protection of the dignity of the individual.

Autonomía del paciente: los testigos de Jehová y la elección de alternativas a la transfusión

Hoy día los medios médicos, jurídicos, bioéticos y farmacológicos que existen permiten al paciente elegir desde una amplia y variadas opciones para su cuidado médico. Los testigos de Jehová aprecian el trabajo duro que hacen los médicos que enfrentan el desafío de proveer tratamiento seguro y efectivo mientras respetan sus derechos autónomos. Esto incluye a muchos ginecólogos y obstetras que han empleado estrategias alternativas a la transfusión de sangre como métodos seguros y eficaces. Este artículo provee una vista general de la posición de los Testigos de Jehová respecto a la transfusión de sangre y considera los principios éticos y legales que apoyan su decisión a elegir alternativas a la transfusión. La cooperación continua sirve directamente para promover los conceptos de la autonomía del paciente, consentimiento informado y decisiones sobre su propio cuerpo.

Today the medical, legal, bioethical, and pharmacological means exist to permit patients to choose from among wide and varied options for their medical care. Jehovah's Witnesses appreciate the hard work of physicians who have met the challenge of providing safe and effective treatment while respecting their autonomous rights. This includes the many obstetricians and gynecologists who have employed safe and effective transfusion-alternative strategies. This article provides an overview of the position of Jehovah's Witnesses with respect to blood transfusion and discusses the bioethical and legal principles that support their decision to choose transfusion alternatives. Continued cooperation can only serve to advance the concepts of patient autonomy, informed consent, and bodily self-determination.