As Americans approach the end of life, they have several well-known options, including life-prolonging medical treatments and hospice care. Another option that has received relatively little attention is voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED). This presentation will examine conceptual, moral, and policy questions about VSED, including:
For patients: Is VSED a good choice for me?
For family and professional caregivers: Must I support a patient’s choice for VSED?
For public policy: How, if at all, should policies regulate the practice of VSED?
Key Words: bioethics, clinical ethics, health care ethics, medical ethics, medical humanities
- Physicians
- Advanced Care Practitioners
- Nurses
- Other health care professionals
Participants who engage in this educational intervention will be able to:
- Recognize essential features of the practice of voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED).
- Assess reasons for and against choosing VSED as a way to hasten one's death.
- Consider how public policies may permit or restrict the practice of VSED.
Presenter:
John C. Moskop, PhD
Professor of Internal Medicine
Wallace and Mona Wu Chair in Biomedical Ethics
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Winston-Salem, NC
In accordance with the ACCME® Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, Standard 3, all in control of content must disclose any relevant financial relationships. The following in control of content had no relevant financial relationships to disclose.
- John C. Moskop
The following persons in control of content disclosed the following financial relationships which were reviewed via the MCW conflict of interest mitigation process and addressed.
Name | Company | Role |
---|---|---|
Contact
- 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™
- 1.00 Hours of ParticipationHours of Participation credit.