Physicians?? Prognoses about the Quality of Life for Infants with Intraventricular Hemorrhage

Medicine’s Valuing of “Normal” Cognitive Ability

“…People in this population are less likely to receive preventive care [32], treatment for acute conditions [35], or desired care at the end of life [36]. The disparities have been partially attributed to overly negative attitudes on the part of clinicians [LINK: http://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/2015/06/nlit2-1506.html] [37,38] about quality of life with a disability, which greatly influence proposed treatment plans [39,40]. For example, it has been suggested that physicians undertake fewer smoking cessation discussions with patients who have intellectual disabilities than with patients who do not, because physicians assume that smoking provides some enjoyment in an otherwise unhappy life [41].…”