http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22617555

JONAS Healthc Law Ethics Regul. 2012 Apr;14(2):43-7.

The hospitalized prisoner with a life-threatening illness: criminal first and patient second?

Badger JM, Ladd RE, Friedemann GR.

Source

Author Affiliations: Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital (Dr Badger and Mr Friedemann), and Brown University (Dr Ladd), Providence, Rhode Island.

Abstract

It is generally accepted that the Patient's Bill of Rights applies to all patients including prisoners. Yet, aprisoners' incarcerated status generally prohibits inmates from making any decision that may shorten his/her life, and as such, the de facto medical decision maker becomes the medical director of the state correctional facility. This case study highlights the challenges that arise when the ethically appropriate response to a hospitalized prisoner's terminal medical condition warrants decisions that are in conflict with that advocated by the correctional facility.