Informed consent and competence in pediatrics: opinions from a sample of Romanian physicians in training

Abstract

To assess the views of physicians in training regarding the informed consent as autonomous authorization in pediatrics and to discuss the limiting effects of the competence norm in this field. We conducted a multi-institutional survey with 158 medical residents in order to assess the views of physicians in training regarding the informed consent as autonomous authorization in pediatrics. The study was conducted with volunteer participants, from a limited geographical area (Bucharest and surrounding areas). Most respondents strongly agreed that a patient aged 16-18 years should make informed medical decisions regarding any type of procedures (including reproductive choices), whilst those aged 14-16 should be allowed to take informed medical decisions regarding minor procedures only. Most participants agreed that transplant procedures involving bone marrow should be allowed between siblings if they approve, whilst most disagreed allowing solid organ transplantation. The involvement of children in clinical studies should only be allowed if the children agree. The responses obtained in our study regarding the informed consent put it closer to the autonomic authorization sense than the effective authorization sense. Therefore, respondents' moral intuition is more bioethical and less legal, which, even if maximizing the patient's benefit, is associated with an increased liability risk. However, since the newer generations become more and more precocious, a reanalysis of the classical competence dogmas should be conducted.