TY - JOUR
T1 - The significance of the distinction between “having a life” vs. “being alive” in end-of-life care
AU - Enck, Gavin G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.
PY - 2022/6
Y1 - 2022/6
N2 - In end-of-life care discussions, I contend that the distinction between “having a life” vs. “being alive” is an underutilized distinction. This distinction is significant in separating different states of existence conflated by patients, families, and clinicians. In the clinical setting, applying this distinction in end-of-life care discussions aids patients’ and family members’ decision-making by helping them understand that being alive can differ from having a life. Moreover, this distinction helps them decide which state may be the most important to them. After applying this distinction to three complex cases, I respond to the likely objection that “having a life” vs. “being alive” is less accurate and more controversial than other distinctions. I conclude by arguing that “having a life” vs. “being alive” is more accurate and less controversial than distinctions between medically indicated vs. medically inappropriate treatments, personhood, and quantity vs. quality of life.
AB - In end-of-life care discussions, I contend that the distinction between “having a life” vs. “being alive” is an underutilized distinction. This distinction is significant in separating different states of existence conflated by patients, families, and clinicians. In the clinical setting, applying this distinction in end-of-life care discussions aids patients’ and family members’ decision-making by helping them understand that being alive can differ from having a life. Moreover, this distinction helps them decide which state may be the most important to them. After applying this distinction to three complex cases, I respond to the likely objection that “having a life” vs. “being alive” is less accurate and more controversial than other distinctions. I conclude by arguing that “having a life” vs. “being alive” is more accurate and less controversial than distinctions between medically indicated vs. medically inappropriate treatments, personhood, and quantity vs. quality of life.
KW - Communication
KW - Decision-making
KW - End-of-life care
KW - Ethical distinctions
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U2 - 10.1007/s11019-022-10066-3
DO - 10.1007/s11019-022-10066-3
M3 - Editorial
C2 - 35015173
AN - SCOPUS:85122702265
SN - 1386-7423
VL - 25
SP - 251
EP - 258
JO - Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy
JF - Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy
IS - 2
ER -