Selected as an outstanding academic book by choice magazine from harry and louise through the mccaughey septuplets, this book explains stories and issues in health care ethics that have appeared in the news media. Written for the general reader in a pluralistic society, it outlines and applies principles of justice from the catholic tradition to contemporary problems that increasingly affect us all. This second edition contains extensive new material and new topics, including physician assisted suicide, managed care, organ donation, genetic testing, cloning, and the question of futility. Aimed at a wide audience, this book will also be useful for introductory ethics courses in colleges and high schools.

Is professor emeritus and former director of the center for health care ethics at the saint louis university health sciences center. He is co author of health care ethics: a theological analysis fourth edition, 1997 , medical ethics: sources of catholic teachings third edition,19 and ethics of health care: an introductory textbook second edition, 1994 , all published by georgetown university press. This remarkable work converses briefly but importantly with virtually every aspect of health care ethics. Reviewing a previous edition or volume mak es complex ethical principles and cases understandable to the medical professional and layperson alike. Mdash health progress o’rourke k editor primer for health care ethics: essays for a pluralistic society this is a thoroughly revised and expanded edition of a book originally published in 1994. It consists of a series of clear and thoughtful short essays, grounded in real cases in health care ethics. The range of coverage is extensive from informed consent, through futile therapy, genetic testing, organ donation, the use of fetal tissue in research, physician assisted suicide, and many other issues, to early delivery of anencephalic infants.

The discussions of individual cases, although necessarily brief, are always clear and well informed, and in general lay out the ethical issues and the various options fairly rather than being strongly directive, partisan, or one sided. The book has little to say about the philosophical and theological underpinning of bioethics one must turn elsewhere for that. They rely, they say, on a very definite concept of the human person and some precise values and goals of the healing relationship that we believe have brought out the best in people in the health care professions over the centuries page xii.

Their arguments, they believe, are founded on reason and natural law as well as on faith. At key points recent roman catholic teaching on such matters as the evil of abortion in virtually all circumstances, even rape, is affirmed, as is the conviction that an embryo from the moment of conception has the status of a human being rather than a potential human being. There are numerous impressive examples of the vigour and cogency of discussions within that tradition of the ethical acceptability of specific forms of treatment. The book directly addresses the injustices generated by the fact that in the united states some four million people do not have proper medical cover, and by the invasion of health care by the market: the only way to solve the health care problems in our society is to insist continually that we must have universal health care coverage.

Until that goal is accomplished, we are fighting bush fires and ignoring the major conflagration page 256. This is also a reminder, however, that to a certain extent this book addresses specifically american issues, or matters which are treated in a rather different way in the united states from elsewhere because of legislation and court decisions. But for the most part the problems with which it wrestles are common to the major industrial societies.

It may fairly be regarded as a very useful and irenic roman catholic contribution to a very complex and confusing debate about how we can agree on the principles and practices of health care in societies which are deeply fragmented morally. This book does not wrestle with the underlying problem of ethical pluralism, but its tone is constructive and positive rather than hectoring, arrogant, or aggressive. Secondly, the book presents itself as a primer , but denies that it is intended to be a textbook. Probably its real value is as a resource and a stimulus for conscientious and reflective practitioners, and for students of ethics who are anxious to ground their studies in real situations. Please choose whether or not you want other users to be able to see on your profile that this library is a favorite of yours. Deciding for others informed consent and the purpose of medicine telling the truth to patients medicine.

Whose responsibility? law, ethics, and decision making ordinary and extraordinary means reforming american health care more on health care reform. Getting to the heart of the matter medical ethics requires accurate distictions autopsy. Some ethical considerations suffering and the need for compassion is there a human right to health care? part two. Cases and conflicts truth telling and alzheimer's disease informed consent in the neonatal care unit revisiting decision making for the seriously ill newborn physician self referral. Ethical issues ethical criteria for removing life support when life support doesn't help witholding vs. Recognizing the limits nancy beth cruzan revisited unfinished business in the cruzan case care for patients in persistent vegetative state use of artificial hydration and nutrition. The clouds are lifting living will and durable power of attorney coming soon to your neighborhood health care facility.

The patient self determination act ethics consultants and the care giving relationship ethics committees in hospitals disregarding patient wishes. The editor, kevin o'rourke, op, rightly points out in the introduction that decisions about health care ethics affect all persons in society. This book will serve as a useful tool to engage those beyond the circle of health care professionals and scientists in the important discussion of contemporary issues in health care ethics.

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Moreover, the text is a wonderful source of continuing education for individuals or groups within the health professions, such as hospital ethics committees. Part 1 covers principles and core values, wisely including fundamental essays from the first edition. Topics important to those in the clinical setting, such as informed consent and the use and removal of life support, are generously addressed, as is physician assisted suicide. Although the topics of genetics and research are included, they are explored in much less depth. Part 10 is an interesting sampling of issues that contain no obvious unifying thread.

I recommend it to readers because of the importance of such topics as pain relief, suffering, the need for compassion, and disclosing imperfect care. The essays contained here are quite brief they focus on an issue, principles, logical reasoning, and conclusions. This model serves to develop or reinforce a basic framework for ethical reasoning for the reader. Perhaps the greatest value of this collection lies in its usefulness as a starting point for discussion. With proper facilitation, these essays will generate discussions to further understanding on specific issues as diverse as cloning, managed care, physician assisted suicide, and many more.

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