Hematology Introduction

OT Dude Academy’s Free NBCOT® Exam Prep Course Hematology Hematology Introduction

Ethical dilemmas and cultural considerations may arise in the rehabilitation of patients with hematological conditions. For example, some patients may actively refuse treatment such as blood transfusions. A notable refusal of treatment is Jehovah’s Witnesses’ refusal of blood transfusions. Parents may refuse blood transfusions for children.1 2 

While OTs do not directly make the decisions for interventions such as giving blood, the conversation may come up during therapy. OTs should follow ethical and legal guidelines such as the OT ethical principles and standards for beneficence, nonmaleficence, etc. OTs should also respect the patient’s rights, their dignity, and cultural differences to avoid biases in their work.3 

Additional Reading

Parents’ refusal of medical treatment for cultural or religious beliefs: an ethnographic study of health care professionals’ experiences

Legal and ethical considerations in blood transfusion

Religious practice, blood transfusion, and major medical procedures

  1. Muramoto O (1999) Recent developments in the medical care of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Western Journal of Medicine 170(5): 297–301.[↩]
  2. Muramoto O (2001) Bioethical aspects of the recent changes in the policy of refusal of blood by Jehovah’s Witnesses. British Medical Journal 322(7277): 37.[↩]
  3. Hoffman, A. (2016). Jehovah’s Witness parents’ refusal of blood transfusions: Ethical considerations for psychologists. Journal of health psychology, 21(8), 1556-1565.[↩]
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