Avoid Futility Disputes with Good Market Information

A reader left the following comment on the post "New futility case - Golubchuk v. Winnipeg Grace Ho..."

I wasn't surprised when I read about a families fight with Grace Hospital to keep their father alive. They are too quick to 'pull the plug'. It nearly happened to me! I nearly died in ICU at Grace Hospital after I had been ignored . . . .

I have purchased a med-bracelet – guess what’s on it? If I am ever what’s on it? If I am ever incapacitated DO NOT SEND ME TO GRACE HOSPITAL!

While this might seem a little extreme, this does seem to capture the essence of the resolution movement. With sufficient transparency, patients and surrogates can identify both hospitals (like Mass. General or, according to this comment poster, Grace) that refuse to provide inappropriate care and hospitals that are willing to accede to requests for continued aggressive treatment. That way, patients can go to the hospitals that share the same values they espouse.