About
I have a master’s degree in philosophy and work on medical ethics. My PhD project is about paternalism and autonomy in doctor-patient communication. To be more specific, I explore what happens in the conversation when a doctor suggests one treatment course but the patient wants another – and how doctors should behave in situations like these.
My project rests on qualitative analyses of video-recorded doctor-patient encounters, as well as normative discussions. Some central questions are: Is it acceptable to persuade a patient to treatment when the patient is reluctant? How can patient fear affect shared decision-making, and what should doctors do when patients are afraid of treatment? What kind of information should doctors give patients about upcoming treatment – and why?
Research groups
Research projects
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Paternalism in doctor-patient communication
A doctor acts paternalistically if she forces, pressures or deceives a patient because she believes that it will make him better off. Examples of paternalism in medical ethics include compulsory treatment, refraining from telling a patient about the severity of his condition to protect him from anxiety, and refusing to offer a treatment that the patient requests on the grounds that he might regret it later.
Publications and research
Scientific publications
Fleisje, Anniken
(2024).
Four shades of paternalism in doctor–patient communication and their ethical implications.
Bioethics.
https://doi.org/10.1111/bioe.13307
Fleisje, Anniken
(2023).
Paternalistic persuasion: are doctors paternalistic when persuading patients, and how does persuasion differ from convincing and recommending?.
12 p.
Medicine, Health care and Philosophy.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11019-023-10142-2
