Comments on: Hope and Death

By: Points of Interest #20 « Mind, Soul, and Body

Points of Interest #20 « Mind, Soul, and Body — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:34:34 +0000

[...] Gurley blows the whistle on the California State legislature, now considering a bill requiring doctors to “be up front” with patients about [...]

By: Dragonfly

Dragonfly — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:14:56 +0000

And we are always told that not all patients want to know!! The first thing we are told to ask them after “and what do you understand” is “how much would you like to know”. I don’t think that bill recognises that.

By: The Covert Rationing Blog » Blog Archive » Medical Grand Rounds, Vol 4, No. 41

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:11:12 +0000

[...] of the proper limits of government, Doc Gurley considers, in her post, Hope and Death, the implications of the California Assembly’s latest bill, essentially requiring doctors to [...]

By: Swedoz

Swedoz — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:48:29 +0000

This has to be one of the most important, as well as difficult things we do as doctors. I have to say that I am never comfortable working for a boss who asks the juniors to do this and I admire incredibly the skills of some senior docs (from all specialties) to have this conversation. Something we need to as a profession as a humane group of people talk more about amongst ourselves and with non-docs and non-health workers but please keep it out of the legal books.

By: James

James — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:33:11 +0000

Just had my orientation at our VA hospital today. My future senior resident was just talking about how horrible it is to tell patients they’re going to die. Apparantly, this happens alot at the VA. Didn’t happen so much in OB – except for the babies. And he’s right, telling someone that they’re term baby who was kicking vigorously a day ago is now dead is no fun for anybody.