Strangers at the Bedside

Strangers at the Bedside

A History of How Law and Bioethics Transformed Medical Decision Making

by David J. Rothman

313 pages· ISBN 9780202369327

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This study of the transformation of the relationship between doctors and patients from the mid-Sixties to the mid-Seventies has acquired the status of a minor classic. In this paperback edition the author has added an afterword on patient autonomy that encompasses some more recent changes in the practice of medicine and the evolving field loosely, but inexactly, characterized as bioethics. He has left intact his portrayal of the earlier, epochal changes that are the subject of the book.

Discussion questions for Strangers at the Bedside

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  1. 1

    How does Rothman’s historical account of the mid-1960s to mid-1970s challenge your understanding of how modern medical ethics and patient rights were established?

  2. 2

    In what ways did the introduction of external figures—like lawyers, philosophers, and ethicists—fundamentally shift the traditional bedside dynamic between doctors and patients?

  3. 3

    Rothman details how medical research abuses prompted a dramatic shift toward institutional regulation; how do you balance the need for rigorous ethical oversight with the progress of medical innovation today?

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