Moral Structuring Of Children During The Process Of Obtaining Informed Consent In Clinical And Research Settings
Abstract Background. Informed consent is an important factor in a child’s moral structure from which different types of doctor–patient relationships arise. Children’s autonomy is currently under discussion in terms of their decent treatment, beyond which it is perceived by clinicians and/or researchers. Methods. This is a transversal, qualitative study via a subjectivist approach and a interpretivist approach. The study was performed by conducting semi-structured interviews of 21 people by clinicians and researchers. Data analysis was performed with the SPSS 21® and Atlas Ti 7.0® programmes. Results. Influential practices in the doctor–patient relationship were approach and paternalistic. In the deliberative model, the child is expected to have a moral awareness of their care. The paternalistic model determined that submission was a way of structuring the child, since he or she is considered to be a subject of extreme care. Conclusions. The differentiated objectification [educational] process recognises the internal and external elements of the child. Informed consent proved to be the appropriate means for strengthening moral and structuring the child.