The Legitimacy of Medical Treatment

The adoption of many treatments and procedures within medicine is far from straightforward, particularly when such treatments are ethically contentious. Bringing together a range of internationally recognised academics from law, philosophy, medicine, health economics, and sociology, the book explores the notion of a treatment, practice, or procedure being proper medical treatment, and considers the diverse factors which might influence the acceptance of a particular procedure as appropriate in the medical context. The book thus explores how the law, the medical profession and the public interact in determining whether a new or contentious procedure should be regarded as legitimate.