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Clinical Ethics Center- CEC
Human Values & Ethics Committee - HVEC
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DESCRIPTION
The First District Appellate
Court's decision in the case Austwick v. Murphy has prompted major
changes in our judgments of DNR orders and how these may be written
in Illinois. This Conference is designed to inform physicians of
these changes, what they mean for clinical practice, and what steps
are being taken to address problems created by these changes.
In the past, DNR orders have
often been written by physicians after consulting families, or sometimes
unilaterally when CPR does not promise appropriate benefits. With
the Austwick decision, however, the courts have defined specific
circumstances under which a DNR order may be written. These include:
1.) with the consent of a competent patient; 2.) through the application
of a valid advance directive; and 3.) through the application of
the Illinois Health Care Surrogate Act.
With these conditions now specified, MMC policy concerning DNR orders
has been changed. A DNR order may only be written in one of the
circumstances outlined above.
This Conference will explore the implications of this revised policy
for clinical practice, and how to understand the circumstances under
which a DNR order may be written under the revised policy. We will
also explore some of the steps being taken to address problems which
these changes have created in clinical practice, and its affect
on the physician/patient relationship.
PRESENTATIONS/SPEAKERS
"Recent Legal Developments Concerning
DNR." - Theodore LeBlang, J.D.
Professor and Chairman, Department of Medical Humanities Southern
Illinois University, School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois.
"Changes in DNR Policy." - Thomas May, Ph.D.
Director, Clinical Ethics Center, Memorial Medical Center and Southern
Illinois University, School of Medicine, Sprinfield, Illinois.
"Applying the Health Care Surrogate Act" - Bethany Spielman,
Ph.D., J.D.
Assistant Professor of Medical Humanities, Southern Illinois University,
School of Medicine, Springfield, Illinois.
"Implications for Clinical Practice." - Andrew Varney,
M.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine and Medical Humanities, and Director,
Residency Program, Southern Illinois University, School of Medicine,
Springfield, Illinois, and Chairman, Human Values and Ethics Committee,
Memorial Medical Center, Springfield, Illinois.
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Ethics Center
Last Updated
May 24, 2007
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