It struck me in Baltimore, on Tuesday, that amending the law to permit unilateral refusal probably does raise at lease the "risk" of erroneous stopping of life support. But such an acknowledgment is not fatal to the effort. First, significant efforts can and should be made to implement safeguards to minimize that risk. Second, the risk of erroneous stopping is surely significantly outweighed by the benefits of reducing erroneous prolongation. But for the latter argument to have persuasive force, the latter type of error must be perceived as serious as the former type of error.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Minimizing Autonomy Errors when Stopping Life Support
It has long been recognized that errors will be made when it comes to stopping life support. On the one hand, some patients will have life support stopped even though they still wanted it. This might result from, among other things: (a) an error in prognosis, (b) an error in determining the patient's preferences, or (c) a failure to follow the patient's preferences. On the other hand, some patients will have life support continued even though they did not want it. This might result from, among other things: (a) an error in prognosis, (b) an error in determining the patient's preferences, or (c) a failure to follow the patient's preferences.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Pulling the Life Support Plug Before the New Year to Escape the Death Tax
Last year at this time, the 2010 federal estate tax provided an incentive for surrogates to keep wealthy patients alive past December 31, 2009. This month, the incentive is the opposite. If the patient dies on or before December 31, 2010, the estate can escape federal estate taxes. Therefore, there is arguably an incentive for surrogates to hasten death. Of course, this may very well be with the wishes and blessing of the patient herself.
Sidney Morning Herald - "The End"
The Sidney Morning Herald just posted an interactive multimedia feature, referred to as a "documentary," comprised of articles and videos on the end of life, on topics from costs, to treatment options, to palliative care.
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