Ethical Challenges in End of Life Care Flashcards
Curing
alleviation of symptoms or the termination or suppression of a disease process through surgical, chemical, or mechanical intervention
Healing
awakening to deeper sense of self in a way that effects profound change. Comes from within and is consistent with a person’s own readiness to grow and to change
Euthanasia
clinician performs lethal intervention
Physician Assisted suicide
clinician provides the means, patient acts - legal in oregon, washington, and montana. VT and NJ have it, but with restrictions
Voluntary euthanasia
requested, killed
involuntary euthanasia
expressed wish to contrary, killed
nonvoluntary euthanasia
made no request, gave no consent, killed
passive euthanasia
erroneous term, intent is lacking
not commencing treatment that would not provide a benefit to the patient
withdrawing treatment that has been shown to be ineffective, too burdensome, or unwanted
giving high doses of pain killers that may endanger life, when they are necessary for pain management
Euthanasia includes the ______ that death is the result
intention
medical futility
unacceptable likelihood of achieving a therapeutic benefit for the patient
effectiveness
assessment of the capacity of the treatment to alter the natural history of the disease - objective determination by clinician
burden
assessment of costs, discomfort, pain, inconvenience, both subjective and objective = determined by patient and clinician
Due process of medical futility
earnest attempts joint decision making negotiation of disagreements involvement of ethics committee transfer of care
Palliative Care
focuses on relief of suffering and improving quality of life
affirms life, sees death as a personal, natural process
Hospice
philosophy of care
available wherever
disease trajectory < or = 6 month prognosis
