Agency problems, ethical challenges and governance attributes in different models of physician-patient interaction within the assisted reproduction setting

摘要

While the physician-patient encounter has received a large amount of research attention, it has been rarely addressed in the context of reproductive medicine. Although couples who fail to reproduce naturally are not considered 'sick' in traditional terms as they do not face a manifest life-threatening condition, they require the assistance of reproductive endo-crinologists (REs) if they are to conceive. Assisted reproduction treatments are complex, emotionally demanding and highly uncertain as their outcomes depend on many factors that are beyond the participants' control. The dependence of infertile couples (ICs) on REs raises ethical dilemmas, and offers possibilities for REs to behave opportunistically at the expense of the ICs.