Contemporary European Perspectives on the Ethics of End of Life Care

This book examines the ethics of end of life care, focusing on the kinds of decisions that are commonly made in clinical practice. Specific attention is paid to the intensification of treatment for terminal symptoms, particularly pain relief, and the withdrawal and withholding of care, particularly life-saving or life-prolonging medical care. The book is structured into three sections. The first section contains essays examining end of life care from the perspective of moral theory and theology. The second sets out various conceptual terms and distinctions relevant to decision-making at the end of life. The third section contains chapters that focus on substantive ethical issues. This format not only provides for a comprehensive analysis of the ethical issues that arise in the context of end of life care but allows readers to effectively trace the philosophical, theological and conceptual underpinnings that inform their specific interests. This work will be of interest to scholars working in the area as well as clinicians, specialists and healthcare professionals who encounter these issues in the course of their practice. 

Chapter 1. Introduction (Nathan Emmerich).- Section 1. Philosophical and theological Perspectives on Care at the End of Life.- Chapter 2: Human Rights and Patient Rights (Anne-Marie Duguet).- Chapter 3. Utilitarianism (Michael Quante).- Chapter 4. Virtue Ethics.- Chapter 5. A Feminist Ethics of Care at the End of Life (Carlo Leget).- Chapter 6. Islam and Care at the End of Life (Alireza Bagheri).- Chapter 7. Judaism and Care at the End of Life (Michael Barilan).- Chapter 8. Catholicism and Care at the End of Life (Pierre Mallia).- Chapter 9. Protestantism and Care at the End of Life (Andrea Dörries).- Section 2. Ethical Concepts in End of Life Care: Definitions and Distinctions.- Chapter 10. Dignity (Roberto Andorno).- Chapter 11. Intentions and the Doctrine of Double Effect (Simon Woods).- Chapter 12. Futility (Lindy Wilmott).- Chapter 13: Proportionality and the Difference Between Ordinary and Extra-ordinary Care (Alan Kearns).- Chapter 14. Difference Between Withdrawing and Withholding Lifesaving and Life Prolonging Treatment (Andrew McGee).- Chapter 15. Killing and Letting Die, and / or Acts and Omissions (Richard Huxtable).- Section 3. Moral Concerns and Ethical Problems in the Clinical Practice of End of Life Care.- Chapter 16. The Ethics of Sedation at the End of Life (Soren Holm.).- Chapter 17. Advanced Directives: A Pan-European Perspective (Ruth Horn).- Chapter 18. Disorders of Consciousness and End of Life Care (Francesca Pistola).- Chapter 19. Patient Refusal of Life Saving Treatment (Christoph Rehmann-Sutter).- Chapter 20. Intentions of Physicians and End of Life Care Team (Vinnie Nambisan).- Chapter 21. Moral Distress in End of Life Care (Georgina Morely).- Chapter 22. Social Factors in Care at the End of Life: Gender and the Family (Marian Verkerk ).- Chapter 23. Ethics and Intercultural Issues in End of Life Care (Ayesha Ahmad).- Chapter 24. The Role of Guidelines and Pathways in End of Life Care (Micheal Bone).- Chapter 25. Conclusion.