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Pediatric Bioethics Conference

No Longer a Child, Not Yet an Adult: Ethical Issues in Adolescent Healthcare

Presented by the Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics

Adolescence represents a time of transition from childhood to adulthood, from dependence to independence and from concrete to abstract thinking. This period of transition raises important issues for healthcare providers who care for adolescents:

  • Do adolescents possess sufficient capacity to make decisions regarding their own healthcare?
  • Should adolescents be permitted to make some healthcare decisions without the involvement of a parent?
  • What are the limits of confidentiality when dealing with adolescent patients?
  • How should healthcare providers respond to parental requests that diagnostic information be withheld from an adolescent patient?
  • Do adolescents with eating disorders have a condition that affects their decision-making capacity?
  • How should a healthcare provider respond to a parent's request to test an adolescent for drugs?
  • Should adolescents be allowed to participate in research without the permission of their parents?
  • Should parental permission be required for administration of the HPV vaccine?

Leaders in the field of pediatric bioethics will discuss these and other issues July 24-25, 2009, on the shores of Puget Sound. Come join us and add your perspective as we explore these ethical questions through presentations, panel discussions, abstract presentations and breakout sessions.

Register online

Conference Planning Committee

  • Douglas S. Diekema, MD, MPH
    Director of Education, Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics
  • Kathy Fennell, RN, MPH, MBA
    Manager, Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics
  • James B. Hendricks, PhD
    President, Seattle Children's Research Institute
  • Kathie Kohorn, MA
    Continuing Medical Education Coordinator
  • Audrey Lum, CAPM
    Project Associate, Seattle Children's Research Institute
  • F. Bruder Stapleton, MD
    Chief Academic Officer and Chair, Department of Pediatrics
  • Benjamin S. Wilfond, MD
    Director, Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics