by AJWRB Staff | | Articles, Bioethics, Children, Journal of Medical Ethics, Medical Ethics, Medical Professionals, Medicine, Patient Management, Physicians, Stories
Qualitative Insight: The Role of the Hospital Liaison Committee To fully comprehend the clinical realities of the Jehovah’s Witness blood prohibition, medical professionals must understand the institutional environment surrounding the patient. The following account is...
by Lee Elder | | Bioethics, Medical Professionals, Medicine, Patient Management, Physicians
Jehovah’s Witnesses are widely known for their conscientious objection to blood transfusions, a position rooted in their interpretation of biblical commands to “abstain from blood” (Acts 15:28–29). However, the current policy maintained by the Watch Tower Bible and...
by Lee Elder | | Bioethics, Clinical Resources, Medical Ethics, Medical Professionals, Patient Management, Physicians
A foundational barrier to informed consent among patients affiliated with Jehovah’s Witnesses is the long-standing, organizationally enforced belief that blood transfusions are inherently unsafe—often described as a form of “Russian Roulette.” These fears...
by Lee Elder | | Bioethics, Clinical Resources, Legal, Medical Ethics, Medical Professionals, Medicine, Physicians
While the Watchtower has never published either actual statistics or estimates of the impact of their blood policy on Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW), it is well-known in the medical community that the policy has caused or contributed to numerous premature...
by Lee Elder | | Bioethics, Clinical Resources, History, Legal, Medical Professionals, Medicine, Patient Management
The “No Blood Card” carried by Jehovah’s Witnesses has undergone significant changes over the past several decades. Originally referred to simply as the “blood card,” it evolved into the “Advance Medical Directive.” A major structural shift occurred in 2004 when the...
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