Center to Advance Palliative Care

Here is a futile policy provided by Dr. Weissman at Froedtert Hospital:

Medical Staff Divisional Policies Froedtert Hospital Policy Title: Futility Policy

Policy Type: Medical Staff Divisional Department: Clinical (Med Staff) Policy Number: MSP.0007 Origin Date: 9/25/2002 Date Revised: 1/24/2007 Supercedes: 9/25/2002

Topic(s): Administrative, Assessment, Professional Practice Keyword(s):Futility Policy, life-sustaining medical treatment

Policy: If, in the well-grounded judgment of the attending physician and a staff physician consultant, life-sustaining medical treatment would be futile, the attending physician may write an order withholding or withdrawing the treatment after notifying the patient (or other responsible individual if the patient lacks decision-making capacity). Appropriate palliative care measures should be instituted. A life-sustaining medical intervention should be considered "futile" if it cannot be expected to restore or maintain vital organ function or to achieve the expressed goals of the patient when decisional.

Life-sustaining medical treatment includes cardiopulmonary resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, artificial nutrition and hydration, blood products, renal dialysis, vasopressors, or any other treatment that prolongs dying.

Consultation with Palliative Medicine, Social Services, and Chaplaincy, as appropriate, is strongly encouraged. If there are remaining questions, the physician should consult the Ethics Committee. If the patient (or surrogate) disagrees, the attending physician should consider whether transfer to another attending physician, or another health care facility willing to accept the patient, is feasible. If transfer to a physician or facility willing to accept the patient is not feasible, further life-sustaining medical treatment may be withdrawn.

The attending physician must inform the Office of the Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs verbally when this policy is invoked and document the notice in the patient’s medical record.

Scope: Medical Staff Policies and Procedures

Authorization:

____________________________________ Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs

____________________________________ Chief of Staff

Date: 01/24/07

© 2007 Froedtert Hospital