Bias at the Bedside: Confronting Ableism is Clinical Ethics

Abstract: Disability is central to the practice of medicine and clinical ethics, yet frequently a locus of bias. Patients with disabilities—whether lifelong, temporary, or newly acquired—are often at the center of consultation requests to clinical ethics committees. This challenges ethicists to confront deep-seated assumptions about disability, including reproductive health, parental decision-making, respect for patient autonomy, values and societal biases about quality of life, psychiatric care, and end-of-life decision-making. The panel will start with a brief discussion of disability bias in clinical care. The speakers will present and analyze three clinical cases to illustrate and interrogate the role of disability in clinical ethics: one at the beginning of life, one about reproductive decision-making, and one at the end of life. The discussion and Q&A will focus on how these cases can help clinical ethicists address issues that frequently arise in consultations and policies involving disabled patients. Throughout the presentation, the speakers will center the perspectives and lived experiences of disabled patients and communities. The panel will also discuss and provide tools and resources for clinical ethicists, and discuss a project in process about case studies about disability and ethics.

Keywords: disability, ableism, autonomy