THE REGIS J. FALLON LECTURE SERIES ON HEALTH AND LAW

ALAN MEISEL

The Debate on End-of-Life Options

January 22, 2009

 

To begin our Fallon lecture series this year, Professor Alan Meisel discussed in great detail the California Right to Know End-of-Life Act, passed in 2008, which gives terminally ill patients the option of discussing end-of-life options with their health care provider as well as giving the health care provider the option of choosing whether to discuss these options. One of the major loopholes of this Act is that end-of-life options are only discussed if requested by the patient; it is not a requirement for the health care provider to disclose this information voluntarily. So many ask: how effective is this Act if it does not require that healthcare providers discuss these options with terminally ill patients? Further, how effective is it if these options are only discussed at the patients’ request? Also, although this act can be seen as triumph for end-of-life care advocates, it does not necessarily address the difficult issues terminally ill patients face every day. Often terminally ill patients are given misguided information about their condition or not even told they are dying. Although minimal in impact, this statute gives patients the impetus to investigate their end-of-life options and rights. Professor Meisel’s presentation provided an interactive forum in which experts in health, including attorneys and physicians, were able to share their experiences and participate in a dynamic debate concerning the rights and end-of-life options of terminally ill patients. The reception that followed, allowed the lively discussion to continue.

 

Photos and summary by Anna Jackson