social construction of tech

Question 1

when does death occur?

Answer 1

tech advancing, change in distinguishing how ppl move towards death.

cardiac vs brain death. are organ donors dead?

Question 2

hassan rasouli story

Answer 2

brain damage as result of infection following surgery

in persistent vegetative state - docs say wanna withdraw life support.

Question 3

what is PVS

Answer 3

an intermediate step between life + brain death

• body capable of growth/development + absence of response to stimuli

Question 4

define brain death?

Answer 4

entails loss of awareness, lack of reflexes, absence of response to stimuli

Question 5

Hassan rasouli - family perspective

Answer 5

belief that Hassan was recovering + would soon gain consciousness.
- removing life support violates religious beliefs.

Question 6

Hassan Rasouli - doc’s perspective

Answer 6

medical futility

= constrain cost of HC

Question 7

what is medical futility?

Answer 7

high work demands,
inadequate staffing, poor work morale/low social support, work-life balance (manned 24 hrs a day, out of sync with family)

Question 8

Hassan Rasouli case - who decides?

Answer 8

fam takes to court. SC. still going.

Question 9

SC decision

Answer 9

Family wins = doctors do not have unilateral right to overrule - in this case circumvented “care + capacity boards” to to do their own thing.

• Hassan showed signs of responding inconsistently to stimuli - upgrade status to minimally conscious.
• prognosis uncertain

Question 10

ambiguity of PVS - explain

Answer 10

PVS -> brain death.
systematically + meaningfully respond to stimuli. ambiguous + subjective

-> emotional, consequential decision. cost of care is high

Question 11

the right to die - margot bentley

Answer 11

former nurse. diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

• Margot had living will: life support withdrawn when reaches advanced stage.
• entered nursing home + not let go at PVS state. difficult to know if responses are meaningful or arbitrary

Question 12

Margot - family perspective

Answer 12

staff feed her despite wishes to cease + allow her to die.

• feeding is reflex, margot isnt there.
• right to die respected

Question 13

Margot - nursing home perspective

Answer 13

food isnt treatment. patient accept food confirms by their actions that they want to eat.
- concern that if fail to provide = negligence. legally responsible/liable.

Question 14

similarity btw Margot + Hassan cases

Answer 14

ambiguity over PVS (interpretation - random or intentional. tech measure, not meaningful)
who gets to decide?

Question 15

Bill C-14

Answer 15

prohibition against physician-assisted dying violated rights of competent adults who are suffering intolerably as result of grievous and irremediable medical condition; infringement of the rights of an individual and not justified

= right to decide what happens to them as they approach death
=tech can prolong life + suffering. who can say what happens? doc or patient? doc wants power, patient wants choise

Question 16

conditions under which physician-assisted death is permitted

Answer 16

• suffering grievous and irremediable medical condition + death must be “reasonably foreseeable” (ambiguous)
• mentally competent and capable of making decisions at moment service is provide

Question 17

how many physician-assisted in Canada?

Answer 17

4000 since law came into effect

1.1% of all deaths

Question 18

why is PAD controversial?

Answer 18

restrictive - 1/6 requested get approved (need more efficiently + responsibly; consent on day of. know + understand consequence)

• under 18 not eligible (is 17yoa too young to understand death?)
• suffering with mental illness not eligible (treatment dont work, request PAD - claim turned down)

Question 19

Adam Clayton-Meier

Answer 19

various mental disorders
- anxiety, OCD, various personality disorders = never cured. no longer wanted to live. rejected from PAD.
committed suicide in 2017

Question 20

issues with mental disorder + PAD?

Answer 20

appropriate to allow ppl to get medical assistance when cant obtain medial assistance for treatment?
- belgium + netherlands permit mental illness + PAD