Eligibility Prerequisites | Comments |
1) Individual Reference | Conscience is individual; collective CO is not admissible. |
2) Specific Clinical Context | Exercise CO is non-binding with regard to future actions, as each situation is handled as a new clinical context. |
3) Ethical Justification | The ethical values of the norm and of the objecting professional must both be valid. The professional may invoke CO as a genuine exercise of individual freedom. |
4) Assurance of Non-discrimination | CO cannot be based on discriminatory or prejudicial grounds (objection must be directed to an act, not a person per se). |
5) Professional Consistency | Objection must be applicable and generalizable to similar ethical conflicts irrespective of physical, geographic, or other occupational characteristics. |
6) Attitude of Mutual Respect | Respect must be shown to patients, coworkers, and authorities (both objectors and non-objectors). |
7) Assurance of Patient Rights and Safety. | The ability of the patient to receive health care of the highest standards of quality must not be interrupted. |
Procedural Process | Description |
1) Notification and Preparation | CO declarations must be made with as much advance notice as possible to allow for appropriate arrangements to be made. |
2) Documentation and Confidentiality | CO requests must be formally submitted (e.g. in writing) to appropriate institutional authorities and be subject to privacy-based norms therein, to be shared discreetly only as required for protection of rights of the medical professional, institution, and patient. |
3) Evaluation of Prerequisites | Diligent review of the set of prerequisites to determine eligibility for CO is required |
4) Non-abandonment | The professional must perform any and all medical interventions for which CO does not apply. |
5) Transparency | Medical professional must explain his/her objector status to the patient in question. |
6) Allowance for Unforeseen Objection | Unforeseen CO is acceptable depending on the urgency of the circumstances. In such situations, formal CO solicitations may be submitted post hoc. |
7) Compensatory Responsibilities | Medical professionals who receive allowances for not performing a medical act due to CO should commensurately perform other duties in their stead such that primary or secondary gain(s) are avoided. |
8) Access to Guidance and/or Consultative Advice | Medical professionals considering CO must have access to advice from the professional association and the CEC. |
9) Organizational Guarantees of Professional Substitution | Assurances should be made to the patient that another professional will provide the necessary medical service(s) with the same quality standards in a reasonable timeframe such that no detriment to care is encountered. |