Informed Consent:
“Informed consent is the process by which the treating health care provider discloses appropriate information to a competent patient so that the patient may make a voluntary choice to accept or refuse treatment.” (Appelbaum, 2007) According to the book, “Some consent forms don’t mention money at all; others come right out and say, ‘We may give or sell the specimen and certain medical information about you.’” In Henrietta’s situation, she was not informed that her cells were being taken, sold and distributed. Also, her family was not informed that their blood was being used to further research on HeLa cells, later on. And lastly, Elsie, her youngest daughter who suffered from “idiocy” and epilepsy, was most likely part of research and experimentation at the Crownsville State Hospital without her families consent. “Tissue rights activists argue that it’s essential to disclose any potential financial gain that might come from people’s tissues”, as stated in the Afterword.
What is your opinion on personal consent regarding the use of people's cells, tissues or other body parts?
Family’s Role:
Henrietta’s family did not have a large role in making her medical decisions, before and after her death. This lack of decision-making began when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer and didn’t tell anyone. “For a month and a half, no one in Turner Station knew Henrietta was sick,” says the book. This privation of knowledge greatly contributed to the family’s role in decision-making. Later, after Henrietta died, her family still did not make any medical decisions regarding her cells because no one informed them of the use of HeLa cells.
Personally, I would want my family to be very involved in my medical decisions. I would seek my family for advice, decision-making, and consolation, whether it was a common check-up or a life changing surgery. This decision-making would also ensure that legal documents and consent forms are established when making medical choices, which would have been helpful in Henrietta’s case.
Lastly, I believe personal choices, legal documents, and family influences should all play major roles in medical decisions. While I see the importance of family member’s influence, I believe the patient’s choices and their living with should preside. So, legally, the treatment and care of a patient should be in the patient’s best interest, following their wishes.
How involved would you want your family in your medical decisions?
How do you think family involvement would have impacted Henrietta's medical decisions and medical treatment?
“Informed consent is the process by which the treating health care provider discloses appropriate information to a competent patient so that the patient may make a voluntary choice to accept or refuse treatment.” (Appelbaum, 2007) According to the book, “Some consent forms don’t mention money at all; others come right out and say, ‘We may give or sell the specimen and certain medical information about you.’” In Henrietta’s situation, she was not informed that her cells were being taken, sold and distributed. Also, her family was not informed that their blood was being used to further research on HeLa cells, later on. And lastly, Elsie, her youngest daughter who suffered from “idiocy” and epilepsy, was most likely part of research and experimentation at the Crownsville State Hospital without her families consent. “Tissue rights activists argue that it’s essential to disclose any potential financial gain that might come from people’s tissues”, as stated in the Afterword.
What is your opinion on personal consent regarding the use of people's cells, tissues or other body parts?
Family’s Role:
Henrietta’s family did not have a large role in making her medical decisions, before and after her death. This lack of decision-making began when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer and didn’t tell anyone. “For a month and a half, no one in Turner Station knew Henrietta was sick,” says the book. This privation of knowledge greatly contributed to the family’s role in decision-making. Later, after Henrietta died, her family still did not make any medical decisions regarding her cells because no one informed them of the use of HeLa cells.
Personally, I would want my family to be very involved in my medical decisions. I would seek my family for advice, decision-making, and consolation, whether it was a common check-up or a life changing surgery. This decision-making would also ensure that legal documents and consent forms are established when making medical choices, which would have been helpful in Henrietta’s case.
Lastly, I believe personal choices, legal documents, and family influences should all play major roles in medical decisions. While I see the importance of family member’s influence, I believe the patient’s choices and their living with should preside. So, legally, the treatment and care of a patient should be in the patient’s best interest, following their wishes.
How involved would you want your family in your medical decisions?
How do you think family involvement would have impacted Henrietta's medical decisions and medical treatment?