Wrong Medicine: Doctors, Patients, and Futile Treatment

Too often, patients in American hospitals are subjected to painful, expensive, and futile treatments because of a physician's notion of medical duty or a family's demands. Lawrence J. Schneiderman and Nancy S. Jecker renew their call for common sense and realistic expectations in medicine in this revised and updated edition of Wrong Medicine. Written by a physician and a philosopher -- both internationally recognized experts in medical ethics -- Wrong Medicine addresses key topics that have occupied the media and the courts for the past several decades, including the wrenching Terry Schiavo case. The book combines clear descriptions of ethical principles with real clinical stories to discuss the medical, legal, and political issues that confront doctors today as they seek to provide the best medical care to critically ill patients. The authors have added two chapters that outline theoretical, legislative, judicial, and clinical developments since the first edition. Based on the latest empirical research, Wrong Medicine continues to guide a broad range of health care professionals through the challenges of providing humane end-of-life care. Critical acclaim for the first edition of Wrong Medicine "A thoughtful discussion of a difficult and pervasive bioethical problem -- one made all the more critical by current concerns about limited resources. This book brings common sense to bear on one of the more intractable issues facing medical ethicists today. A useful and timely contribution." -- New England Journal of Medicine "A lucid and important contribution to the field that moves us toward both a more scientific and a more humane approach to making treatment decisions at the end of life." -- Health Affairs