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Medical futility
Author(s) -
Gynecologists
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/s0020-7292(02)90018-4
Subject(s) - medicine , construct (python library) , equity (law) , health technology , process (computing) , institution , law , health care , computer science , political science , programming language , operating system
It is difficult to define medical futility prospectively and objectively. Nonetheless, as technology continues to advance and use more resources, it is important that physicians and their institutions develop a process for dealing with conflict surrounding the construct of medical futility. Prospective policies on medical futility are preferable to unilateral decision making by individual physicians. Such a medical futility policy should provide a systematic process for dealing with disagreements and for reaching a fair resolution, as outlined previously. When there is disagreement, patient and family values regarding treatment options and the default position of maintaining life ordinarily should take priority. However, situations may occur in which claims of reasonableness and equity in the distribution of resources are so powerful that the views of caregivers, the institution, and society will prevail.