Art Caplan Is Too Optimistic

Transparency alert: Art Caplan, commenting on something I said quite a while ago, called me a “cockeyed optimist.” I took that as a compliment. What he says in this piece is mostly useful, but he’s spinning nevertheless. He’s at pains (sorry) to say that if you choose all kinds of medical care at the end of your life, no prob. Really? This in a world where doctors are trained first and foremost as utilitarian bean counters and where whatever fine document you have saying what you want is easily overridden by doctor power? Now, maybe I can return the compliment.

Not a 'Death Panel': Call it 'Quality of Life'

I'm Art Caplan from the Center of Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. Today I'd like to talk to you a little bit about end-of-life care planning. This has been a very controversial issue. At first, the Obama health reform included financial incentives for doctors to talk with their patients about end-of-life care planning, but it has been withdrawn from legislation because there has been pushback. Some people are arguing that this is a kind of rationing or almost a form of death panel discussion where you're trying to persuade people not to use medical resources. more