The Care of the Terminally Ill: Morality and Economics

Authors:
  • RBRonald Bayer
    Ronald Bayer
  • DCDaniel Callahan
    Daniel Callahan
  • JFJohn Fletcher
    John Fletcher
  • THThomas Hodgson
    Thomas Hodgson
  • BJBruce Jennings
    Bruce Jennings
  • DMDavid Monsees
    David Monsees
  • SSSteven Sieverts
    Steven Sieverts
  • RVRobert Veatch
    Robert Veatch
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Abstract
Are current expenditures on dying patients disproportionate, unreasonable, or unjust? Although a review of empirical data reveals that care for the terminally ill is very costly, it is not appropriate to conclude that such expenditures represent a morally troubling misallocation of societal resources. Moreover, though efforts to reduce the costs of caring for the dying are not unreasonable, they must be undertaken with great caution. At present, such efforts should concentrate on three basic goals: development of better criteria for admission to intensive- and critical-care units; promotion of patient and family autonomy with regard to decisions to stop or refuse certain kinds of treatment; and promotion of alternative forms of institutional care, such as hospice care.

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