Part Five - Issues in Care for the Seriously Ill and Dying

DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTIONS

• The Directives speak of proportionate or disproportionate means to sustain life.  What does this mean? Are they speaking medically? Legally? Ethically?
• Who decides what is proportionate or disproportionate for each patient? How can health care providers ensure that decision makers have sufficient information and guidance to make such decisions?
• How is Directive 58 generally understood and implemented in your facility?
• Recent studies show that dying patients still receive inadequate pain management, even though medical science has advanced tremendously in this area. What do the Directives have to say about pain relief? How can your organization ensure that patients receive the comfort care they need and deserve?
• How well realized is Part Five of the Directives in your facility? What is going well? What are the obstacles you face in carrying out the spirit of Part Five?
• Review the organ donation policies in your facility. Do they sufficiently reflect the spirit of Directive 63?