The Pediatrician's Role in Family Decision Making

Abstract

The bounds of the patient-physician relationship are difficult to define in pediatrics because of the necessary involvement of the child's surrogate decision maker usually, the parent. The triadic relationship, patient-parentphysician, adds complexity because it often means considering both the child's best interests and what his or her parents see as the family's best interests. The literature has raised questions about the appropriate role of parental and family interests in clinical decision making for children.