Are doctors supposed to be doing this? -- Why it is hard to say no -- Why we must say no -- Families who say, "do everything!" -- Futility and rationing -- Medical futility in a litigious society -- Ethical implications of medical futility -- The way it is now/the way it ought to be : for patients -- The way it is now/the way it ought to be : for health professionals -- The high points : medical futility -- Medical futility : where do we stand now?
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SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
Too often, patients in American hospitals are subjected to painful, expensive, and futile treatments because of a physician's notion of medical duty or a family's demands. Lawrence J. Schneiderman and Nancy S. Jecker renew their call for common sense and realistic expectations in medicine.