Importance of Minors in Giving Consent to Treatment Procedure in Healthcare

This article discusses the importance of minors in giving consent to treatment procedures in healthcare. It highlights the consequences of conflicting opinions between children and parents, parents refusing life-saving treatment for children, and healthcare professionals' ability to override parental decisions. The article also considers minors under specific circumstances.

Running head: HEALTHCARE ASSIGNMENT
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Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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Introduction:
While the law has traditionally considered minors to be incompetent in giving consent
for the medical treatment for the disease, many countries even states have designed policies and
legislative framework for giving minors the authoritative position for consent to treatment in the
specific situation in the health care sector (Neal & Hammer, 2017). It is a well-established
principle that before treating any patient, physicians in the clinical setting obtain consent from
the patient for specific treatment. However, the conflict often arises considering the authoritative
position for giving the consent to the treatment. The prime reason behind it is that although the
parents can legally give consent to the treatment, many minors refuse to participate in the
treatment procedures that further hinder the effective treatment procedure (Breakwell, 2015).
Furthermore, conflict also regarding consent for treatment of the minors who have divorced
parent and parent share custody (Arnold & Boggs, 2015)..Therefore, this paper would argue
about the importance of the minors in giving consent to the treatment procedure.
Discussion:
The consequence of conflicting opinions between children and parent:
It is a well-established concept that many minors have the capacity to make the right
decisions for their health care services. Since the federal government of United States revises the
laws involving minors for the health care services, giving priorities to the minors while
conducting treatment procedure is crucial for every health professional in order to conduct order
effective recovery-oriented treatment services. Parents and physicians should not exclude
children from the decision of treatment procedure. In the viewpoint of mine, there are negative
consequences of conflict of opinion about the treatment. A study by Berkman et al. (2015),
suggested that since the psychic makes up of the children is sensitive, the perspective of the
children understanding the conflict is different from the perspective of parents understanding the

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conflict that is influenced by the hostile relationship between parents, poor parenting practice,
the separation between parents and negative parent-children relationship. Therefore, the majority
of the cases, minors feel threatened due to conflict of opinion regarding the treatment procedures
(Neal & Hammer, 2017). In the clinical setting, the consent to the treatment is generally given by
parents without asking for the consent of children (Arnold & Boggs, 2015). Therefore, in my
opinion, the conflict of opinion regarding treatment influenced the mental health of minor such
as infants and teenagers. According, the consequence of the conflict of opinion between parents
and children give rise to mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and eating disorders.
According to Parker (2014), it was observed that in the clinical setting, due to the major conflict,
children refuse to participate in the treatment procedure that worsens the health condition.
Generally, the consequences are non-violent but the expression of aggression and self-harm is
evident in specific treatment (Arnold & Boggs, 2015). Another studyJanicke, Fritz and
Rozensky(2015), females are more prone to depression due to the conflict regarding treatment.
Therefore, to conclude, in order to reduce the conflict and managing the consequences of the
conflict, the involvement of children in the decision-making should be integrated with the health
care services.
Parents refusing the life-saving treatment for the children:
Children are a largely ignored group in the medical ethics where it concentrated in the
adult with capacity for taking the right decision for the treatment which children (Carr, 2015).
According to the government legislation, for the best interest of the children, the parent should
not refuse life-saving medications since it can lead to premature death (Janicke, Fritz&Rozensky,
2015). However, in my opinion, parents have rights to refuse the life-saving treatment for their
children only. Accumulated evidence exhibited different dynamics where parents refuse life-
saving medications for the treatment of children (Neal & Hammer, 2017). According toHarris

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(2015),many life-saving medications for the adults are not suitable for the children and
application of these treatment procedures might lead to negative consequences. Therefore, many
parents become apprehensive about the well-being of children and refuse to provide consent for
the treatment. Another study byAlpern et al. (2017), suggested that since the life-saving
medications are higher expensive, many parents are not able to afford it, especially who are
single parents or separated from the spouse. Therefore, they refuse to provide consent for life-
saving medication even if it is the best treatment for saving the life of the sick child.Janicke,
Fritz and Rozensky(2015), argued that, due to episodes of negative experience and falls beliefs
influenced by the culture and society, parents become apprehensive about the life-saving
medications because of their negative consequences. They feel that they the life saving treatment
will harm their child or any other negative consequences which will lead to premature death
(Carr, 2015). Therefore, they belief in traditional treatment procedures which will save the life of
their children and they refuse to give consent for the life-saving medications even if it is the only
treatment that saves the life of the child (Neal & Hammer, 2017). Therefore, to conclude, in
order to reduce the probability of the refusal of life-saving medications by parent, proper
awareness should be raised through appropriate educations and campaign programs, health care
expenses should be reduced by legal policies and legislation. Moreover, making children the
center of the decision making , manufacturing of proper life-saving medications should be
designed which would-be suitable for children is also effective for reducing the issue (Arnold &
Boggs, 2015)
Justification of allowing minors to participate in healthcare decision making:
Children who belong to the age group of fourteen to seventeen years of age are allowed
to undertake their own decisions about health and recovery options (Stanford & Connor, 2014).
This can be termed as ‘consent’ and is legally permitted by the law. According to my

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perspective, the age group between fourteen to seventeen years is extremely sensitive and at the
same time vulnerable. It characteristically marks the transition to adulthood. Studies reveal that,
the transition from adolescence to adulthood marks a series of hormonal and physiological
changes that is characterized by emotional and psychological conflicts. Further, it has also been
mentioned in this regard that adolescents are likely to act according to their free will and acting
according opposite to it might lead to negative implication on the psychological wellbeing of the
patient. Research studies further reveal that, the terminal adolescent phase marks adulthood
round the corner and it is increasingly important to prepare the teenagers to manage
responsibilities related to healthcare (Brierley &Larcher, 2016). Further, healthcare forms an
integral aspect of their lives and seeking their consent before proceeding with a treatment
regimen is important to ensure that they are comfortable with the devised treatment procedure.
The opinion of the teenagers are given vital importance in association to making healthcare
choices, extending consent for a treatment and choosing a new care provider or considering a
second medical opinion. I strongly feel, that the age is appropriate to educate teenagers about
complex disorders that might affect their physical health. Awareness helps in rendering teenagers
with self-management strategies so that they can assume an active role in managing their
personal care. In addition to this, it should further be stated that by the age of seventeen
adolescents must acquire knowledge about the importance of medical history while going for a
treatment process. Also, teenagers must be familiar with the idea of being placed under the care
of a primary care doctor. In addition to this, minors must also develop an idea about the places
that can ideally provide details about medical records. The concept of health insurance, medical
coverage and its associated limitations should also be made known to the minors, in order to
ensure that they have a sound idea about the functioning of the healthcare system.

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Healthcare professionals and their ability to override parental decisions:
It is important to note in this context, that caring for minors require healthcare
professionals to adapt a family-centred approach throughout the process of treatment
intervention (Cregan, 2013). This is exclusively because, children below the age of seventeen
years do not possess knowledge and the reasoning ability to comprehend with the medical health
condition and at the same time provide their consent for the treatment process. In order to
address these issues, the decisions are widely taken by the immediate care providers of the
children who are either the parents or the local guardians of the children. Health care
professionals and care providers of the children work in partnership to impart effective care to
the children. However, numerous instances indicate possibilities when the parents of the children
refrain from continuing the medical treatment procedure for their children. A number of factors
can be accounted for the decision that includes, financial crisis, societal barrier or other allied
reasons. In these circumstances, care providers often assist healthcare professionals to withhold
medical treatment and the recovery of the child is at stake. In order to address such critical
scenarios health care professionals are fairly equipped with certain strategies to prevent the
advent of such instances. These strategies are known as ethical principles and require the
healthcare professionals to recognize the dignity and intrinsic value of the children and their right
to receive medical treatment and protection. Also, even though the family issues form an
important aspect of consideration, the care professionals must act in the best interest for the
welfare of the child and the adolescent. The care professional must consider the expectations of
the children and at the same time avoid bias and advocate in favour of the minor and improve
their access to healthcare facilities (Ruhe et al., 2016).

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Reservation of parents in refusing medical treatment to children:
According to my perspective, it is correct on the part of the healthcare professionals to
intervene and oppose the decision of the parents to withhold a particular treatment routine. It
should be noted in this context, that the decision to withhold the treatment might be due to
societal stress, financial stress or any other reason and is definitely against promoting wellness in
the child. Therefore, it is important for the professionals to act in their best interest and adapt
necessary measures to ensure them a secured life with underlying values of dignity and respect.
In fact, the right could end up saving the life of a child which is the ultimate goal of the carer
who works a health care professional. Further, the decision making ability of the healthcare
professionals could also help in convincing the parents and acquire positive patient outcomes.
As has already been discussed in the previous paragraphs, the parents are granted the
moral and the legal right to take medical and health related decisions for the welfare of the child.
This is because, children up to the age of sixteen do not possess the maturity to make complex
decisions for themselves while seeking medical intervention. Parents are assured the right to
refuse or discontinue life-sustaining treatment or accept and continue the treatment process for
the welfare of the child. However, studies reveal that parental decisions might turn out to be
biased or influenced by extrinsic factors and hence, to regulate such situations, the decisions are
guided by the healthcare professionals so as to serve the best interests of the child. It should be
mentioned in this regard that the medical caretakers possess the authority to challenge the
decision of the parents if it is found to be detrimental for the health and welfare of the child. The
basis of granting guardians and parents the right to take decision for the children is exclusively
based on the familial ties that the child shares with the members of the family since birth. The
home forms the first environment of the child and the family members are supposed to be
critically aware about the needs of the child on the basis of the developmental considerations.

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However, instances that portray imprudent, neglectful or abusive approach towards the child
while undertaking a vital decision for the health and wellbeing of the child is questionable by the
medical authorities. It should be noted in this context that, instances that portray significant risk
of harm towards the child must be challenged by the healthcare professionals. The care
professionals must act as advocates to promote a secure life to the children and discourage the
progression of any unhealthy decision. Care professionals should attempt to reach at a
satisfactory resolution with the help of respectful decisions and ethical considerations (Snelling,
2016). Care professionals must be able to properly show both the aspects of continuing or
discontinuing the treatment and even then if a satisfactory conclusion is not achieved then the
professionals must consider the involvement of the state child protection agency or a court order
(Khoo et al., 2017). The ultimate motto should be to save the life of the child and advocate the
right to survival.
Consideration of minors under specific circumstances:
The transition to adulthood marks fervor of the spirit of experimentation that makes
teenagers involve themselves in a lot of misleading comfort activities that might lead to be
troublesome for the health of the people. Adolescents, do not feel comfortable discussing about
problems such as HIV testing, contraceptive services, sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted
pregnancy and prenatal delivery and care services with their parents. This is primary because
teenagers do not feel comfortable discussing about these problems with parents as parental
attitude regarding these elements have been associated with dominance and critique. In addition
to this, seeking treatment for alcohol or drug abuse should also be allowed without parent
notification. Research studies state that more than 50% of teenagers end up suffering more
complications due to inadequate assistance from care professionals for the fear of making parents
aware about the condition (Yu et al., 2017). Negative behavioural trait of the parents thus leads

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to lack of access to healthcare facilities. Healthcare facilities should be equally accessible to
minors as well as adults irrespective of their social status so as to promote quality patient
outcomes. However, legislative makers have refrained from designing policies to make it legal
for the minors to access reproductive healthcare services and abortion services without parental
notification in certain low income to middle income nations (Khoo et al., 2017). Authorization of
minors to access healthcare facilities lead to easier access to intervention opportunities and thus
saves possibilities of encountering a critical complication that might rise due to non-reporting of
the condition. It is important to recognize the medical health needs and expectations of the
minors and frame policies to work in favor of their interest.
Conclusion:
Hence, to conclude, it can be stated that the involvement of minor and adolescents within
the decision making framework is an important aspect of ethical consideration. It should be
noted in this context the parents are generally assured the legal right to undertake health-related
decision for the welfare of the minors. However, the parental decisions can be affected by a
number of extrinsic factors that end in taking a decision to discontinue a treatment process. In
such circumstances, the healthcare professionals can challenge the decision of the parents and are
expected to act in the best interest of the child and secure their right to survival. It should also be
noted that minors might be assured legal rights to access HIV testing, Pre-natal delivery and
care, contraceptive services and substance abuse treatment without having to notify their
immediate parents so that they can be guaranteed unbiased services.

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