Islamic Ethical Considerations on Medical Decision-Making in Adolescence
Abstract
Medical decision-making in adolescence has not been studied in-depth from the Islamic bioethics perspective. The objective of this dissertation is to use the Islamic ethical position to explore the adolescent medical decision-making process in Canada so as to contribute to building frameworks for Islamic bioethics consumers such as patients, physicians and policymakers. A descriptive literature review is conducted to analyze data from related disciplines such as Islamic theology, developmental psychology, law and clinical ethics through principles of Islamic ethics such as objectives of Sharīʿa, legal maxims and operational maxims. The concepts of taklīf, ahliyya, bulūgh and rushd are focused on due to their criticality in judging moral, religious and legal obligations of the adolescent, as well as adolescents’ decision-making capacity. Our research shows that approaching the process of adolescents’ medical decision-making in Canada from an Islamic ethics perspective involves certain factors. These include intention of medical intervention (ḍarūrī, taḥsīnī or hājī), adolescents’ competence and emotional maturity, potential benefit/harm of the procedure, and their family’s role in decision-making. A guideline using Islamic ethics featuring ‘questions to ask’ is then provided for healthcare workers regarding adolescents’ medical decision-making in Canada.