Providers at faith-based hospitals are forbidden from discussing medical options that conflict with the restrictions often delay or deny treatment for miscarriages, increasing the risk of troubled pregnancies
Providers are bound by professional ethics – and by law – to discuss all viable options for care so their patients can make their own choices; this is known as informed consent. (See RCW 70.03.020, “Health Care Providers – Providing Information to Patients”.)
When a patient obtains care in a Catholic health care delivery system informed consent is constrained by the ERD’s. Directive #28 says “the free and informed health care decision for the person or person’s surrogate is to be followed so long as it does not contradict Catholic principles.” Patients cannot be informed of alternatives or choices that are medically available if they are in conflict with Catholic teaching. Providers are forbidden to discuss any other treatments if not sanctioned by the Catholic Church. This directly is in conflict with medical ethics and the standard of medical practice.