This book examines the ethics of end of life care, focusing on the kinds of decisions that are commonly made in clinical practice. Specific attention is paid to the intensification of treatment for terminal symptoms, particularly pain relief, and the withdrawal and withholding of care, particularly life-saving or life-prolonging medical care. The book is structured into three sections. The first section contains essays examining end of life care from the perspective of moral theory and theology. The second sets out various conceptual terms and distinctions relevant to decision-making at the end of life. The third section contains chapters that focus on substantive ethical issues. This format not only provides for a comprehensive analysis of the ethical issues that arise in the context of end of life care but allows readers to effectively trace the philosophical, theological and conceptual underpinnings that inform their specific interests. This work will be of interest to scholars working in the area as well as clinicians, specialists and healthcare professionals who encounter these issues in the course of their practice.

This book examines the ethics of end of life care, focusing on the kinds of decisions that are commonly made in clinical practice. Specific attention is paid to the intensification of treatment for terminal symptoms, particularly pain relief, and the withdrawal and withholding of care, particularly life-saving or life-prolonging medical care. The book is structured into three sections. The first section contains essays examining end of life care from the perspective of moral theory and theology. The second sets out various conceptual terms and distinctions relevant to decision-making at the end of life. The third section contains chapters that focus on substantive ethical issues. This format not only provides for a comprehensive analysis of the ethical issues that arise in the context of end of life care but allows readers to effectively trace the philosophical, theological and conceptual underpinnings that inform their specific interests. This work will be of interest to scholars working in the area as well as clinicians, specialists and healthcare professionals who encounter these issues in the course of their practice.

This book addresses the problems faced by people and hospitals dedicated to providing optimal end-of-life care and asks whether ethicists can function as experts on this subject. Though ethics consultation is a growing practice in medical contexts, difficult questions surrounding the role of ethicists in professional decision-making remain. The chapters in this book examine the nature and plausibility of moral expertise, the relationship between character and expertise, the nature and limits of moral authority, the question of how one might become a moral expert, and the trustworthiness of moral testimony. This volume not only engages with the growing literature in the debate on end-of-life care but also offers new perspectives from both academics and practitioners. Such perspectives include ways on how to get together to optimize end-of-life care. This book is of particular interest to bioethicists, clinicians, ethics committees, students of social epistemology, patient groups, and institutions, especially religious, who may not be sufficiently imparting the social teachings of end-of-life care. It also shows how they are indeed stakeholders for what is today called 'a good death'. These new essays advance discussions and provide practical information on dying as well as acting as a guide to those interested in actively effecting change.