Aspects of Futile Care: What to do when there’s nothing to do

MSU's Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences is hosting a free webinar on Wednesday, March 14th, from 12:00 - 1:00 pm CT, titled "Aspects of Futile Care:  What to Do When There’s Nothing to Do."  The presenter is Marc D. Basson, MD, PhD, MBA, Professor and Chair of the Department of Surgery at the College of Human Medicine.  The description of the presentation is "From ethical, societal, and financial perspectives, we will discuss what it would mean to consider medical care a futile effort and what physicians’ obligations might be in response to requests by patients or families for care that is deemed futile. Is the withholding of futile medical care an infringement on patient and family “autonomy?” How do costs enter into a judgment that medical care is futile? Are standards for “futility” the prerogative of the medical profession, or should they arise out of a broader social deliberation?"