What a pleasant surprise: An opinion column in the New England Journal of Medicine opposes medical futility. Written by Harvard Medical School professor Robert D. Troug, M.D., it makes some very good points about the problem with even the best-intended futile care policies. Reacting to the Baby . . . . Continue Reading »
I am not happy: But my ire was raised before the ultimate failure of the bill to outlaw futile care theory in Texas. The “good” bill, which would have required hospitals to maintain treatment pending a transfer to another hospital would have breezed to passage, and in the process given a . . . . Continue Reading »
I consider the Texas fight over Futile Care Theory to be one of the most important bioethical matters of the year. This is why I was so profoundly disappointed when the Texas Catholic Bishops and the Texas Catholic Conference supported a modified version of futile care, and opposed the legislation . . . . Continue Reading »
Under the terms of Texas law, hospital ethics committees have the right to unilaterally vote to refuse wanted life-sustaining treatment. Known as “futile care theory” or “medical futility” or “inappropriate care,” such refusals are permitted to be made on quality . . . . Continue Reading »
Should a hospital ethics committee be empowered to decide in secret to withdraw wanted life-sustaining treatment? This is the heart of what I call Futile Care Theory, a.k.a, medical futility, which is being quietly pushed into official policy throughout the country by the mainstream bioethics . . . . Continue Reading »
Subscribe
Latest Issue
Support First Things
