Essay On Medical Futility

”Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” While Abraham Lincoln could have been referencing helping the nation survive the Civil War, abolishing slavery or even the instance in which he helped Ms. Pomeroy cross a muddied street by walking across stones I believe the intention behind his statement speaks volumes. Medical professionals are tasked with knowing what is right for their patients and carrying out their plan of care, most often this includes diagnostic testing followed by treatment to improve or correct the condition which has caused them to seek medical care in the first place. There will also come a time when a decision must be made as to whether continuing treatment still holds beneficial value for their patient or if it has reached the point of medical futility. It is at this point that the physician must feel irrevocably certain that his feet are in the right place and then be prepared to stand firm on his …show more content…
(McCabe, 2008). An example of this would be a patient or family insisting on another round of radiation or chemotherapy treatment despite the data showing it will not be effective in improving the condition. It can be especially difficult to make this conclusion, especially if the patient in question or their family is not in agreeance with the physician or their decision. The physicians tasked with the treatment of patients who are suffering from cancers or other potentially terminal illnesses may have to face this decision much more often and having open communication long before its needed can help prepare for a time in which medical futility is reached. Being able to show the benefits of palliative care and letting a patient and their family know, with proper verbiage, that all potentially beneficial treatments have been exhausted will go a long way to help with understanding and