The purpose of advance medical planning - autonomy for patients or limitation of care?

Article Abstract:

Many doctors may be using advanced directives as a way of limiting medical care. The original purpose of advanced directives was to ensure that the patient's wishes for aggressive treatment would be respected. The SUPPORT study found that many doctors misunderstood their patient's feelings about receiving CPR. This can occur because of communication problems and also because patients may change their mind. Physicians are under a lot of pressure to contain costs and it may be tempting to use an advance directive to achieve this goal.

Refusal to treat (Medicine), Advance directives (Medicine), Medical care decision-making authority (Law), Medical care decision making authority (Law)

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Truth or consequences

Article Abstract:

Physicians should be open and honest with patients when it comes to rationing health care. Rationing health care essentially means denying effective medical care to reduce costs, usually costs incurred by a third party. Rationing is openly discussed in many hospitals but some hospital administrators prefer that patients are not informed when their health care is rationed. This may be unethical and denies the patient the right to protest rationing or go elsewhere for care. It may also destroy the patient's trust in the doctor.

Health care rationing

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Organ donation by unrelated donors

Article Abstract:

Doctors who seek to increase the supply of donated organs must be careful not to increase the benefit to the patient at the expense of the donor. Surgery to remove an organ from an unrelated living donor is not without risks.

Editorial, Analysis, Donation of organs, tissues, etc., Tissue donation

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