| Rituals, death and the moral practice of medical futility. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 19372124 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Medical futility is often defined as providing inappropriate treatments that will not improve disease prognosis, alleviate physiological symptoms, or prolong survival. This understanding of medical futility is problematic because it rests on the final outcomes of procedures that are narrow and medically defined. In this article, Walker's ;expressivecollaborative' model of morality is used to examine how certain critical care interventions that are considered futile actually have broader social functions surrounding death and dying. By examining cardiopulmonary resuscitation and life-sustaining intensive care measures as moral practices, we show how so-called futile interventions offer ritualistic benefit to patients, families, and health care providers, helping to facilitate the process of dying. This work offers a new perspective on the ethical debate concerning medical futility and provides a means to explore how the social value of treatments may be as important in determining futility as medical scientific criteria. |
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Authors:
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Shan Mohammed; Elizabeth Peter |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Review |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Nursing ethics Volume: 16 ISSN: 0969-7330 ISO Abbreviation: Nurs Ethics Publication Date: 2009 May |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2009-04-17 Completed Date: 2009-08-07 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 9433357 Medline TA: Nurs Ethics Country: England |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 292-302 Citation Subset: N |
Affiliation:
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Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada. shan.mohammed@utoronto.ca |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Attitude of Health Personnel Attitude to Death Attitude to Health Ceremonial Behavior* Critical Care / ethics*, psychology Decision Making / ethics* Dissent and Disputes Humans Medical Futility / ethics*, psychology Morals Nurse's Role / psychology Philosophy, Medical Philosophy, Nursing Prognosis Resuscitation / ethics, psychology Terminal Care / ethics*, psychology Withholding Treatment / ethics* |
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