Professional Responsibilities for Treatment of Patients with Ebola: Can a Healthcare Provider Refuse To Treat a Patient with Ebola?

摘要

Primum Non-Nocere. First do no harm. This is the firstrule of medicine, reminding us of our duty to protect ourpatients and to ensure that our procedures and treatmentsnever worsen a patient’s condition.But what if the healthcare provider is at risk of harm fromthe patient? May a licensed healthcare provider refuse totreat a patient? A patient, say, with Ebola?The recent emergence of Ebola in West Africa begs thequestion, and indeed, as a recent op-ed in the WashingtonPost brought to light, Susan Grant, Chief Nurse Executiveof Emory Healthcare, was roundly criticized for “bringingpatients” with Ebola to Emory University Hospital for treatment.1 (Presumably, the underlying concern of Ms. Grant’scritics, who “responded viscerally on social media,” wasrooted in Ebola’s high case fatality – as high as 90%.2 Indeed,the entire affair was highly reminiscent of the emergence ofAIDS some thirty years ago.)