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A thoroughly researched, empirically-based explanation of the failures of end-of-life communication & decision-making in the United States.
List of contents
Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. The Conundrum: How Much Medical Care is 'Enough'? ; 2. Our Health Care 'System': The Good, the Bad, and the Probably Unfixable; 3. Autonomy and Informed Consent in the Real World; 4. The Denial of Death and Its Sequelae; 5. Disorders of Consciousness and the Meaning of Life; 6. More Barriers to Good Communication; 7. Palliative and Hospice Care: Misunderstandings and Lost Opportunities; 8. Rational Apathy and the Role of Uncertainty; 9. The Crucible: Making Decisions for Incapacitated Patients; 10. Resolving Conflicts at the End of Life: Three Models; 11. What's a Pragmatist to Do? ; 12. At the End of the Day; Index.
About the author
Barbara A. Reich is a Professor of Law who has taught Bioethics, End-of-Life Law, and other Medical Law subjects for over two decades. She is the author of numerous articles addressing end-of-life issues, including articles about the Theresa Schiavo case, informed consent and shared decision-making, advance directives, and cognitive challenges to making good medical decisions. Barbara is a graduate of Harvard Law School.
Summary
A thoroughly researched explanation for the failures of end-of-life communication and decision-making in the United States. The book explores the reasons why physicians, patients, and families struggle to have the conversations necessary to provide seriously ill and dying patients with medical care consistent with patient preferences.
Foreword
A thoroughly researched, empirically-based explanation of the failures of end-of-life communication & decision-making in the United States.
