Julie Campbell, JD
Faculty Fellow
Mary and Michael Jaharis Health Law Institute
DePaul University College of Law
Abstract: Despite medical advances, the efficacy of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (“CPR”) remains relatively low in patients at the end of their lives. Despite this fact, family members or surrogates routinely request ineffective therapies such as CPR be provided to terminal patients in hospital intensive care units (“ICUs”). The ethical guideline of beneficence requires physicians to avoid harmful interventions with a low likelihood of success. This places the physician and the family at odds when it comes to whether CPR should be administered to terminal patients amid the dying process.
Campbell will investigate whether reframing the language used for orders limiting the use of CPR in end-of-life situations will result in greater patient acceptance of the physician-advised plan of care. Prior studies have examined whether “Allow Natural Death” orders would result in greater patient acceptance. Unfortunately, results from these studies are varied. Campbell will argue these results may be due to the patient/family’s perception that such an order grants the medical team permission to discontinue all effective medical therapies.
Campbell will discuss the use of “Beneficial Care Only” in place of the traditional “Do Not Resuscitate” or the more recent “Allow Natural Death” to communicate to the patient and family the positive right to beneficial care, rather than the fallacious right to harmful CPR, or the misconception that other medically beneficial interventions will be discontinued.
Continuing medical education credit will be available for those in attendance.
The Center for Bioethics & Health Law Clinical Ethics Forum brings together Pitt faculty (including law, medicine, nursing, and philosophy scholars), Pitt students, trainees, and UPMC staff for ethics discussions including journal clubs, policy discussions, and case conferences.
Location and Address
Online