Ethics and Suicide

A decision-making swamp resides at the confluence of suicide attempts and practical bedside ethics. Once a patient is stabilized, a tapestry of factors tend to appear: chronic illness, poor quality of life, depression, terminal prognosis and more. How do professionals respect the autonomy of a patient who has already attempted to take his/her life? What about opinions of friends and family? By what criteria does a determination get made regarding “suffering we can treat?” How does a medical professional walk the line of “do no harm?”

These are the types of questions that will be put forward on January 25 from 7:30-8:30am, when the Arizona Bioethics Network kicks off its 2012 webinar schedule with Dr. Greg Loeben and “The Acceptability of Discontinuing Treatment After an Unsuccessful Suicide Attempt.” Be part of the discussion. Webinar capacity is limited to the first 100 participants, so register today.

Stay up to date with Vitalyst

Receive our monthly e-newsletter, Spark News, to learn about upcoming events, catalyst programs, and ways to get involved.