Article by: Mark R Wicclair, Center for Bioethics and Health Law, University of Pittsburgh, 3708 Fifth Avenue, Suite 300, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; wicclair@pitt.edu
Abstract: The popular television series House M.D. is drawn upon to provide a critical examination of medical paternalism and how it is presented in the show. Dr Gregory House, the character named in the title of the series, is a paradigm of a paternalistic physician. He believes that he knows what is best for his patients, and he repeatedly disregards their wishes in order to diagnose and treat their illnesses. This paper examines several examples of medical paternalism and the means used to portray it favourably in the series. It is argued that the positive depiction of medical paternalism in the fictional world of the series does not apply in the real world. The paper also considers why a show that features a paternalistic physician who so blatantly flouts mainstream medical ethics might appeal to health professionals and members of the general public.
Alas, I am unable to review this article for you, because I am poor and cannot afford to buy it. I think the implications for medical paternalism, as portrayed in the television show House, are particularly relevant for the issue of involuntary commitment, hospitalization and mandated treatment. At what point, do we as professionals, have the right to impose treatment, and deny basic civil liberties (even when it is in their very best interest for recovery)?
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