Ethical Considerations and Treatment Decision Making When Parental Adherence Difficulties Impact Treatment Outcomes: Comment on Bruni,Lancaster,and Kullgren (2017)

The case study presented in “How the interaction between parent and child can lead to non-adherence: A case study of self-catheterization” exemplifies the complexity of treatment decision making when intervention progress is impacted by difficulties with parental adherence. When parents do not adhere to treatment recommendations, a variety of clinical and ethical factors are important to consider in determining how to proceed. This commentary discusses factors relevant to this treatment decision-making process, including the family’s commitment to treatment, barriers to treatment, and whether termination should be considered.