Husch Blackwell Partner
Harvey Tettlebaum and his fellow presenters discuss the Health Reform legislation which encourages a more collaborative approach to health care delivery as well as the ethical and professional obligations of health care and legal professionals to discuss with patients end of life treatment decisions. This can be accomplished not only by determining how a person''s wishes can be memorialized in an advance directive, but also by considering the legal framework in which physicians, other providers and patients can appropriately address these decisions and their ramifications. The session includes who controls the Healthcare provided, what liberty interest a patient has in choosing or accepting medical treatment, the ethical duties of a physician to avoid futile treatment and what legal duty a physician has to advise patients of non-treatment options. The session also discusses how culture change can be brought about, by government mandate or informed patient choice.