Medical Futility (Chapter 12 in Guidance for Healthcare Ethics Committees)

Abstract:     
This is a chapter for a new comprehensive handbook for hospital ethics committees. After reading this chapter, the reader will be able to: (1) Describe the three main definitions of “medical futility.” (2) Identify the key factors at the heart of disagreements between surrogates and providers concerning whether a treatment is beneficial. (3) Distinguish six strategies that ethics committees can use to prevent and to resolve medical futility disputes.

Keywords: healthcare, health, ethics, HEC, death, dying, medical futility

JEL Classification: K00, K32

working papers series