Hartog M A, Freeman M, Kubilis P S, Jankowski R A
Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, USA.
South Med J. 1999 Apr;92(4):362-8. doi: 10.1097/00007611-199904000-00002.
Florida laws grant exemption from prosecution to parents who choose spiritual healing rather than conventional medical therapy for their children. Despite the American Academy of Pediatrics' policy statement supporting repeal of such laws, we believe pediatricians are not aware of existing statutes.
A survey to assess understanding of Florida's religious exemption laws was distributed to pediatric house staff, faculty, and clinical social workers at a large teaching hospital and to community pediatricians in private practice.
Eighty-four percent of respondents were unaware of Florida statutes, and physicians were significantly less knowledgeable than social workers. Of those who understood the statutes, 92% believed physicians should overrule parents' decisions. Significantly more social workers than physicians believed that parents should be prosecuted for child abuse or neglect when medical treatment is withheld for religious reasons.
Further education of pediatric health care workers is required before repeal of these laws will become a priority for legislators.
佛罗里达州法律规定，对于那些为子女选择精神疗法而非传统医学疗法的父母，可免予起诉。尽管美国儿科学会发表政策声明支持废除此类法律，但我们认为儿科医生并不了解现行法规。
我们对一家大型教学医院的儿科住院医师、教员和临床社会工作者以及私人执业的社区儿科医生进行了一项调查，以评估他们对佛罗里达州宗教豁免法的了解情况。
84%的受访者不知道佛罗里达州的法规，医生的了解程度明显低于社会工作者。在了解这些法规的人中，92%认为医生应该否决父母的决定。认为因宗教原因拒绝为孩子治疗时父母应被指控虐待或忽视儿童的社会工作者明显多于医生。
在这些法律的废除成为立法者的优先事项之前，需要对儿科医护人员进行进一步教育。
