HLE Module 9 -Medical Futility questions
and correct answers
Medical Futility - correct answer ✔✔The definition of medical futility is not unanimous. As Post points
out in your textbook, the narrowest definition that all can agree on is a treatment that is physiologically
impossible to achieve the therapeutic end for which it was used such as treating viral infection with
antibiotics.
Potentially Medically Inappropriate Care - correct answer ✔✔According to Lo (pp. 110-111), when the
issue is raised by the medical team, it is because:
1) The likelihood of success is small
2) No worthwhile goals can be achieved
3) The patient's quality of life is unacceptable
4) The benefit is not worth the resources required\
In these cases, the appropriate term is "potentially medically inappropriate".
Requests to do everything - correct answer ✔✔Given by the family
What is the process to resolve a dilemma regarding medically inappropriate care when there is a
disagreement between the health care team and the patient and/or patient's decision makers? - correct
answer ✔✔In the case just provided, there is some physiological benefit to performing CPR.So,
technically, the treatment is not medically futile. So, how do we proceed suggests, pp. 112- 113 the
following:
1) Obtain a second opinion
2) Initiate the conflict resolution process - often this is done through the facility's health care ethics
committee
3) Determine if the judgment of medically inappropriate (this is determined by the consensus of the
group - note: no one in the group may be on the patient's health care team)
4) If the group determines that the treatment is medically inappropriate, the healthcare team has full
authority to stop the treatment after education, consultation, and a waiting period.
5) If the patient's decision makers still disagree, they may appeal through the legal system.
and correct answers
Medical Futility - correct answer ✔✔The definition of medical futility is not unanimous. As Post points
out in your textbook, the narrowest definition that all can agree on is a treatment that is physiologically
impossible to achieve the therapeutic end for which it was used such as treating viral infection with
antibiotics.
Potentially Medically Inappropriate Care - correct answer ✔✔According to Lo (pp. 110-111), when the
issue is raised by the medical team, it is because:
1) The likelihood of success is small
2) No worthwhile goals can be achieved
3) The patient's quality of life is unacceptable
4) The benefit is not worth the resources required\
In these cases, the appropriate term is "potentially medically inappropriate".
Requests to do everything - correct answer ✔✔Given by the family
What is the process to resolve a dilemma regarding medically inappropriate care when there is a
disagreement between the health care team and the patient and/or patient's decision makers? - correct
answer ✔✔In the case just provided, there is some physiological benefit to performing CPR.So,
technically, the treatment is not medically futile. So, how do we proceed suggests, pp. 112- 113 the
following:
1) Obtain a second opinion
2) Initiate the conflict resolution process - often this is done through the facility's health care ethics
committee
3) Determine if the judgment of medically inappropriate (this is determined by the consensus of the
group - note: no one in the group may be on the patient's health care team)
4) If the group determines that the treatment is medically inappropriate, the healthcare team has full
authority to stop the treatment after education, consultation, and a waiting period.
5) If the patient's decision makers still disagree, they may appeal through the legal system.
