Loading...
Medical treatment and care of persons with disability
Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences
Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences
Author(s)
Author(s) (Additional)
Illustrator(s)
Producer(s)
Contributor(s)
Contributor(s) (Other)
Editor(s)
Advisor(s)
Contact(s)
Data Collector(s)
Keywords
GE Subjects
Collections
Files
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Online Access
Abstract
"considerable number1 of people of all age-groups are themselves affected by disability2 at some time in the course of their life. Over the last few decades increased attention has been paid to their place in society and their condition has been placed in the context of general human rights3. Persons with disabilities are threatened in many ways: by patronising restriction on their self-determined way of life and by neglect, by social barriers or by active exclusion. The recognition and support of the right to self-determination and self-responsibility and the removal of obstacles to free participation in social life are essential preconditions for the individual’s defence against such threats. There is also the need to take active steps to bring people with disabilities back into all areas of society. In their nature, their severity and their duration and also in their social context, disabilities vary over an extremely broad, continuous spectrum. Their importance with regard to medical4 treatment and care can correspondingly also be very different: A disability can be directly related to the treatment: preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative measures are intended to eliminate or reduce the effects of congenital or acquired impairment. However, a disability can also influence the treatment and care only indirectly: even when health disorders are not directly connected with a disability, this can be important for the course of the disease or for the diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities. Therefore a procedure that is adapted to the special situation must be chosen. In many cases, however, the disability has no relevant connection with the health disorder that has to be treated. In these situations, a treatment that deviates from the usual therapy is no more justified than discrimination on grounds of gender or nationality would be. The aims of these guidelines are - to confirm and promote the right of all persons with disability to appropriate treatment and care; - to draw attention to the decisive role of good medical treatment and care for the support of persons with disability in their efforts to achieve self-determination and social acceptance;
Note(s)
Topic
Type
Preprint
Date
2008
Identifier
ISBN
DOI
Copyright/License
With permission of the license/copyright holder