| Summary: | The article critiques the reliance on authenticity as a guiding principle in surrogate decision-making for incapacitated patients, arguing that this approach may not adequately reflect the diverse values and moral paradigms present in a pluralistic society. It highlights practical challenges clinicians face in eliciting and applying patients' values, noting that the question "What would the patient want?" often leads to idealized responses that fail to inform clinical decisions. The authors advocate for a more flexible decision-making framework that accommodates various moral paradigms beyond authenticity, suggesting that this shift could better align with the complexities of patients' identities and values. Ultimately, they call for healthcare systems to adapt to support this pluralistic approach in surrogate decision-making.
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