Ethical Counselling and Medical Decision-Making in the Era of Personalised Medicine

This book offers an overview of the main§questions arising when biomedical decision-making intersects ethical§decision-making. It reports on two ethical decision-making methodologies, one§addressing the patients, the other physicians. It shows how patients'§autonomous choices can be empowered by increasing awareness of ethical§deliberation, and at the same time it supports healthcare professionals in§developing an ethical sensitivity, which they can apply in their daily§practice.§§The book highlights the importance and relevance§of practicing bioethics in the age of personalized medicine. It presents§concrete cases studies dealing with cancer and genetic diseases, where§difficult decisions need to be made by all the parties involved: patients, physicians and families. Decisions§concern not only diagnostic procedures and treatments, but also moral values,§religious beliefs and ways of seeing life and death, thus adding further layers§of complexity to biomedical decision-making. This book, which is strongly§rooted in the philosophical tradition, features non-directive counseling and§patient-centeredness. It provides a concise yet comprehensive and§practice-oriented guide to decision-making in modern healthcare.§