Main description:

This book addresses the problems faced by people and hospitals dedicated to providing optimal end-of-life care and asks whether ethicists can function as experts on this subject. Though ethics consultation is a growing practice in medical contexts, difficult questions surrounding the role of ethicists in professional decision-making remain. The chapters in this book examine the nature and plausibility of moral expertise, the relationship between character and expertise, the nature and limits of moral authority, the question of how one might become a moral expert, and the trustworthiness of moral testimony. This volume not only engages with the growing literature in the debate on end-of-life care but also offers new perspectives from both academics and practitioners. Such perspectives include ways on how to get together to optimize end-of-life care. This book is of particular interest to bioethicists, clinicians, ethics committees, students of social epistemology, patient groups, and institutions, especially religious, who may not be sufficiently imparting the social teachings of end-of-life care. It also shows how they are indeed stakeholders for what is today called 'a good death'. These new essays advance discussions and provide practical information on dying as well as acting as a guide to those interested in actively effecting change.

Contents:

SECTION I Ethical and Social issues

Chapter 1.

INTRODUCTION: HARMONISING END OF LIFE CARE - A GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE.

Pierre Mallia, Nathan Emmerich, Bert Gordijn, Francesca Pistoia,

Chapter 2.

The Liverpool Care Pathway: lessons in care of the dying

John Saunders

Chapter 3 Spirituality, Religion, and Psychology Rev. Renzo Pegoraro

Chapter 4 Global systems: Palliative care and hospices at the end of life Piret Paal

Chapter 5

What makes a good death? Acknowledging the global cultural and social issues.

Pierre Mallia

SECTION II Professional Issues Chapter 6 Medical decision-making at the end of life Andrew Thorns and Dominique Wakefield

Chapter 7

General Practice and care at the end of life: how family practice changes according to country

Pierre Mallia

Chapter 8

Team Approaches - how they can be made to work

Anthony Fiorini

Chapter 9.

Communication and conflict resolution - managing conversations. A culturally sensitive model

Dr Sarah Cox

SECTION III Medico-legal Proposals

Chapter 10.

Advance Care Planning

Paul Paes

Chapter 11

Importance of Palliative Care training in all medical curricula

Francesca Pistoia

Chapter 12

Palliative Sedation - is it a real dilemma?

Nathan Emmerich

SECTION IV Implementing-Change pathways

Chapter 13

Engaging patient groups in end-of-life

Gertrude Buttigieg and Christopher Vella

Chapter 14

Developing Pathways towards Improving End of Life care and Advanced Planning.

Pierre Mallia

Chapter 15 Pierre Mallia, Nathan Emmerich, Bert Gordijn, Francesca Pistoia,

APPENDIX A Curriculum for the Harmonisation of End of Life Care within micro or macro systems

EndCare, ERASMUS+ project

Pierre Mallia (ed.)