Value-impregnated factual claims and slippery-slope arguments

Helgesson, Gert; Lynøe, Niels; Juth, Niklas

doi:10.1007/s11019-016-9723-4

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…7 Previously conducted studies have shown that the more controversial an issue is the more it tends to bring out personal emotional reactions and that personal values are often hidden and tacitly influence the estimation of factual claims. [3][4][5]9,10 The latter claim is partly analogous with the philosophy of science's claim that observations are influenced or tacitly impregnated by theories. 4,5 In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the values at stake when discussing PAS.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Values at stake at the end of life: Analyses of personal preferences among Swedish physicians

et al. 2022

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Background Physician-assisted suicide is a controversial issue and has sometimes raised emotion-laden reactions. Against this backdrop, we have analyzed how Swedish physicians are reasoning about physician-assisted suicide if it were to be legalized. Methods and participants We conducted a cross-sectional study and analyzed 819 randomly selected physicians’ responses from general practitioners, geriatricians, internists, oncologists, psychiatrists, surgeons, and all palliativists. Apart from the main questions about their attitude toward physician-assisted suicide, we also asked what would happen with the respondents’ own trust in healthcare if physician-assisted suicide were legalized. Response options were that trust would decrease, not be influenced, or would increase. Results We identified a strong statistical association between on the one hand those whose own trust would increase and who were pro physician-assisted suicide, and on the other hand those who were against physician-assisted suicide and whose own trust would decrease [relative risk: 16.7 (95% confidence interval: 10.2–27.2)]. Among those whose own trust would not be influenced (n = 456), 60% were pro pysician-assisted suicide, 16% were against, and 24% were undecided. Of those whose trust would increase or not be influenced, a large majority supported autonomy-based arguments, whereas those whose trust would decrease supported non-maleficence-based arguments. Conclusion Analyzing the answers after having divided respondents into those whose own trust in healthcare would decrease or increase and not be influenced brings about interesting results such as how the three groups prioritize arguments for and against physician-assisted suicide. This way of analyzing the data seems to be a promising strategy when identifying value-impregnated factual claims.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Values at stake at the end of life: Analyses of personal preferences among Swedish physicians

et al. 2022

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“…Previously conducted studies have, however, indicated that Swedish physicians actually hold values that are in conflict with official values. [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] By official values in health care, we mean the values expressed in health care law and regulations. However, personal values that are at odds with the official values are seldom openly declared by the physician.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The simple idea is that the physician's personal values remain tacit while affecting factual judgements, so that the practical conclusion about what to do as a health care professional is informed by these values. [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] Value impregnation of factual aspects is not a phenomenon unique to Sweden or Swedish health care. In a Swiss study, Hermann et al investigate physicians' decision-making process regarding assisted suicide, claiming that physicians' personal values enter 'through the back-door' as they colour the assessment of patients' decision-making capacity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The method has been applied in six different vignette-based studies including 10 more or less controversial health care interventions. [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] The aim of the present article is to examine whether the proportions of value-influenced and value-neutral participants vary depending on how controversial the issue is.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The simple idea is that the physician’s personal values remain tacit while affecting factual judgements, so that the practical conclusion about what to do as a health care professional is informed by these values. 9–19…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Is healthcare providers’ value-neutrality depending on how controversial a medical intervention is? Analysis of 10 more or less controversial interventions

2017

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BackgroundSwedish healthcare providers are supposed to be value-neutral when making clinical decisions. Recent conducted studies among Swedish physicians have indicated that the proportion of those whose personal values influence decision-making (the value-influenced) vary depending on the framing and the nature of the issue.ObjectiveTo examine whether the proportions of value-influenced and value-neutral participants vary depending on the extent to which the intervention is considered controversial.MethodsTo discriminate between value-neutral and value-influenced healthcare providers, we have used the same methods in six vignette based studies including 10 more or less controversial interventions. To be controversial was understood as being an intervention where conscientious objections in healthcare have been proposed or an intervention that is against law and regulations.ResultsEnd of life decisions and female reproduction issues are associated with conscientious objection and more or less against regulations, and also resulted in the highest proportions of value-influenced participants. Following routines, which is not in conflict with official values, were associated with one of the lowest proportion of value-influenced participants. The difference between the highest and lowest proportions of value-influenced participants among the 10 examined interventions was significant (81.8% (95% confidence interval: 78.1–85.5) versus 34.7% (95% confidence interval: 29.2–40.2)).ConclusionThe study indicates that the proportions of value-neutral participants decrease the more controversial an issue is, and vice versa. In some cases, however, framing effects may potentiate or obscure this association. As a bold hypothesis, we suggest the proportion of value-neutral or value-influenced might indicate how controversial an issue is.

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Assisted dying in Swedish healthcare: a qualitative analysis of physicians’ reasoning about physician-assisted suicide

Lindblad,

Juth,

Engström

et al. 2024

Monash Bioeth. Rev.

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To explore Swedish physicians’ arguments and values for and against physician-assisted suicide (PAS) extracted from the free-text comments in a postal survey. A random selection of approximately 240 physicians from each of the following specialties: general practice, geriatrics, internal medicine, oncology, surgery and psychiatry. All 123 palliative care physicians in Sweden. A qualitative content analysis of free-text comments in a postal questionnaire commissioned by the Swedish Medical Society in collaboration with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. The total response rate was 59.2%. Of the 933 respondents, 1107 comments were provided. The free-text comments entailed both normative and factual arguments for and against PAS. The analysis resulted in two main categories: (1) “Safe implementation of PAS is unachievable” (with subcategories “Criteria of PAS difficult to fulfil” and “PAS puts societal norms and values at risk”) and (2) “The role of PAS in healthcare” (with subcategories “No medical need for PAS”, “PAS is not a task for physicians”, “No ethical difference to other end-of-life decisions” and “PAS is in the patient’s best interest”). The respondents brought up well-known arguments from academic and public debate on the subject. Comments from physicians against PAS were more often emotionally charged and used devices like dysphemisms and slippery-slope arguments.

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Value-impregnated factual claims and slippery-slope arguments

Cited by 6 publications

References 14 publications

Values at stake at the end of life: Analyses of personal preferences among Swedish physicians

Values at stake at the end of life: Analyses of personal preferences among Swedish physicians

Is healthcare providers’ value-neutrality depending on how controversial a medical intervention is? Analysis of 10 more or less controversial interventions

Assisted dying in Swedish healthcare: a qualitative analysis of physicians’ reasoning about physician-assisted suicide

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