Introduction

The Four Topics

Ethical Reasoning in Clinical Ethics

Resources in Clinical Ethics

Acknowledgements

Bibliography

The Four Topics Chart

TOPIC ONE

Medical Indications

1.1 Indicated and Nonindicated Interventions

1.2 Clinical Judgment and Clinical Uncertainty

1.3 Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Orders not to Resuscitate

1.4 Medical Error

1.5 Determination of Death

1.6 Summary

TOPIC TWO

Preferences of Patients

2.1 Informed Consent

2.2 Decisional Capacity

2.3 Decision Making for the Mentally Incapacitated Patient

2.4 Surrogate Decision Makers

2.5 Failure to Cooperate in the Therapeutic Relationship

TOPIC THREE

Quality of Life

3.1 Divergent Evaluations of Quality of Life

3.2 Enhancement Medicine

3.3 Compromised Quality of Life and Life-Sustaining Interventions

3.4 Pain Relief for Terminally Ill Patients

3.5 Medically Assisted Dying

3.6 Suicide

TOPIC FOUR

Contextual Features

4.1 Health Professions

4.2 Other Interested Parties

4.3 Confidentiality of Medical Information

4.4 Economics of Clinical Care

4.5 Allocation of Scarce Health Resources

4.6 Influence of Religion on Clinical Decisions

4.7 Role of Law in Clinical Ethics

4.8 Clinical Research and Education

4.9 Public Health

4.10 Organizational Ethics