Saturday, April 25, 2015

No Capacity, No Family, No Voice

Jennifer Chevinsky, moderator of the weekly @BioethxChat on Twitter, recently recorded an insightful video message about a growing class of patients who haven't the capacity to understand their medical situation, or express their wishes for care, have nothing in writing regarding their wishes, and no family or close friends who can or will speak for them.

The Community Ethics Committee is completing a report on this patient class for the ethics leadership and teaching hospitals of Harvard Medical School. Chair Carol Powers and colleagues will present at a workshop devoted to the subject May 7-8 at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

See Chevinsky's video here.