Ethical Issues in End-of-Life Care: MacLean Center Interdisciplinary Faculty Seminar Series

Check out this amazing roster of nearly 30 world class seminars on end-of-life issues in the MacLean Center's 2014-2015 Interdisciplinary Faculty Seminar Series.



In the past 50 years, medicine has developed new and unprecedented technologies like breathing machines and dialysis that can prevent or delay death. These technologies have changed how people die, where people die, and physicians’ responsibilities to dying patients. During these 50 years, physicians and society have gradually learned how to best apply these life-saving technologies and how to stop them. In the vast majority of cases in which death is anticipated, patients, families and physicians reach prudent and “negotiated” decisions on when to stop aggressive care.



Yet questions remain. Advance directives have not been the panacea they were hoped to be and deciding for patients who are unable to speak for themselves remains painfully difficult for families and practitioners. Newer technologies such as implanted cardiac defibrillators, left ventricular assist devices, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation continue to raise new questions. Euthanasia and physician assisted suicide remain contentious subjects. Even questions that were thought settled, such as brain death and palliative sedation, have generated new controversies. Further, the cost of caring for patients at the end of life continues to consume a large percentage of the health budget, raising questions about the optimal and just use of health care resources.



THE ETHICS OF GLOBAL PALLIATIVE CARE

KATHEY FOLEY

Wednesday, October 8



THE DEFINITION OF DEATH: NEWLY EMERGING CONTROVERSIES

ROBERT VEATCH

Wednesday, October 15



STARTING VERY SMALL: NEWBORN PERSPECTIVES ON THE BIG DECISIONS

PERRIS KLASS

Wednesday, October 22



BEING MORTAL: MEDICINE AND WHAT MATTERS IN THE END

ATUL GAWANDE

Thursday, October 23



VOLUNTARILY STOPPING EATING AND DRINKING: SEPARATING THE WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF

DANIEL SULMASY

Wednesday, October 29



THE LACK OF CONSENSUS ABOUT FUTILITY

ALAN MEISEL

Wednesday, November 5



TRANFORMING HOW WE CARE FOR THOSE NEAR THE END OF LIFE

SUSAN TOLLE

Wednesday, November 12



COMMUNICATING ABOUT PROGNOSIS AND END-OF-LIFE CARE IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED CANCER

JENNIFER TEMEL

Wednesday, November 19



THE FIVE HORSEMEN: MANAGING ‘WICKED’ GLOBAL CRISES

DANIEL CALLAHAN

Wednesday, December 3



SEDATION, CONSCIOUSNESS AND PERSONHOOD: CLINICAL AND ETHICAL PERSPECTIVES IN A PALLIATIVE SETTING

TIMOTHY QUILL

Wednesday, December 10



DONATION AFTER CARDIAC DEATH (DCD): ACADEMIC DISSENT FAILS PATIENTS

TRACY KOOGLER

Wednesday, January 7



THE COST OF END-OF-LIFE CARE

TOMAS PHILIPSON

Wednesday, January 14



MEDICAL STUDENT REFLECTIONS ON CARING FOR DYING PATIENTS

MARK KUCZEWSKI

Wednesday, January 21



WHEN GOOD INTENTIONS AREN’T ENOUGH: BARRIERS TO OPTIMAL END-OF-LIFE CARE

RANJANA SRIVASTAVA

Wednesday, January 28



END-OF-LIFE DECISIONS IN PEDIATRICS: WHY THEY ARE DIFFERENT

JOEL FRADER

Wednesday, February 4



PREDICTING END OF LIFE

BILL MEADOW

Wednesday, February 11



DEMOCRATIC LEGITIMACY AND END-OF-LIFE DECISIONS

DAN BRUDNEY

Wednesday, February 18



THE PROMISE OF A TREATMENT: CARDIAC ARREST AND ITS EFFECT ON CONTEMPORARY MEDICINE

DAN BRAUNER

Wednesday, February 25



ETHICAL OBLIGATIONS AND CLINICAL CARE IN END-OF-LIFE CARE: DERIVING A QUALITY-OF-LIFE CONSTRUCT BASED ON THE ISLAMIC CONCEPT OF ACCOUNTABILITY BEFORE GOD

AASIM PADELA

Wednesday, March 4



TORT LIABILITY IN END-OF-LIFE CARE

NADIA SAWICKI

Wednesday, March 11



ETHICAL ISSUES IN DISCONTINUING LVADS

SAVITRI FEDSON

Wednesday, April 1



IMPROVING QUALITY REDUCES COSTS: ETHICAL ASPECTS OF CARE FOR THE SERIOUSLY ILL

DIANE MEIER

Wednesday, April 8



PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA: ARE THEY THE CANARY IN THE COAL MINE?

JOAN TENO

Wednesday, April 15



WHAT’S SO HARD ABOUT END-OF-LIFE DECISION-MAKING?

PETER UBEL

Wednesday, April 22



A GENERATION LATER: WHY HAS THE END-OF-LIFE DEBATE ENDED?

RICHARD EPSTEIN

Wednesday, April 29



ECMO AS A ‘BRIDGE TO NOWHERE’: ETHICALLY CHALLENGING POIGNANT CASES FROM THE TECHNOLOGICAL EDGE

KEN PRAGER

Wednesday, May 6



LAST EXIT OFF THE CARDIAC FREEWAY: ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS IN PALLIATIVE CARE AND CARDIOVASCULAR IMPLANTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES

JAMES KIRKPATRICK

Wednesday, May 13



ONE EXPLORER’S MAP INTO THE WORLD OF PALLIATIVE CARE CHAPLAINCY RESEARCH

LINDA EMANUEL

Wednesday, May 20