Theme: Shared Decision-Making

A physician’s story: When the family feels they don’t have their doctor’s permission to make a particular decision.

Page: 6 of 6

A physician’s story: When the family feels they don’t have their doctor’s permission to make a particular decision.

Dr. Terri Major-Kincade shares a personal story about how her relationship with a family she had known since the baby was born very prematurely complicated the parents’ decision later to transition to comfort-care only. The family was afraid they were going to let her down because she saved their baby. “I’ve had such guilt about them feeling like they didn’t have permission. How many shunt infections have been treated? How many things have this baby gone through?” (This was a big learning moment for Terri.)