Don't Let Anyone Stop Talk about End of Life Wishes

Art Caplan
MSNBC
February 7, 2011

Tossing aside irresponsible rhetoric about death panels, euthanasia, health-care rationing and throwing grannies on ice floes, the cancer experts say candid conversations are the key to ensuring comfort and dignity in the final days.

Links:

Don't let anyone stop talk about end-of-life wishes, Art Caplan, MSNBC, February 7
End of Life Scare 2011, John Carney, The Bioethics Channel

Words Matter: How EOL Rhetoric Undermines Good Palliative Care

Robert Martensen, MD
Bioethics Forum -- The Hastings Center
January 21, 2011

“EOL” is being translated on the ground to “near death.” Treating physicians request palliative care consults near the time of discharge, not at admission, and hospice referrals follow the palliative consults closely in time. Counter to what the program’s sponsors anticipated, palliative care in their hospital tends to function as “hospice lite.”

For more click here.

Why not repeal Patient Self Determination Act?

Our friend Thaddeus Pope proposes a provocative step -- repeal of the Patient Self Determination Act.

He states thus: "If the federal government wants to be agnostic and treat advance care planning like abortion and assisted suicide (not allowing federal funds), then why not at least be consistent? Repeal all the federal law that promotes advance care planning."

For his entire post click here.