Comments on: Can a computer act as your health care proxy? http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/03/can-computer-act-as-your-health-care.html Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:28:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/03/can-computer-act-as-your-health-care.html#comment-73094 Anonymous Thu, 22 Mar 2007 01:23:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/03/can-a-computer-act-as-your-health-care-proxy.html#comment-73094 A computer has no ulterior motive. Many times the surrogate decision maker does.<br/><br/>And, as the above poster correctly pointed out, sometimes the doctors do as well. A computer has no ulterior motive. Many times the surrogate decision maker does.

And, as the above poster correctly pointed out, sometimes the doctors do as well.

]]> By: Carolhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/03/can-computer-act-as-your-health-care.html#comment-73087 Carol Wed, 21 Mar 2007 21:29:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/03/can-a-computer-act-as-your-health-care-proxy.html#comment-73087 I think the difference between zero and 1% is that in my experience a physician can't say "This guy's just meat. Let'im go" unless the patient is already gone.<br/><br/>My Dad's onocologist was cornered by my desperate step mom when it was "time". She forced him to respond to "CAN HE LIVE???". The doctor felt compelled to not act like God and said "Maybe 1%." This led to 9 horrific days of ICU ventilator, full pressors, total sepsis, and finally I had to get the hospital's ethics committee to say enough was enough. All this even though Dad told me just before he was put on the vent that he didn't want it. But I was only the daughter. She was the wife. She wasn't there to hear him say no because she was so busy terrorising the doctor in the hallway. Sad, sad, sad.<br/><br/>Not the doctor's fault. He was put in an impossible situation. I think the difference between zero and 1% is that in my experience a physician can’t say “This guy’s just meat. Let’im go” unless the patient is already gone.

My Dad’s onocologist was cornered by my desperate step mom when it was “time”. She forced him to respond to “CAN HE LIVE???”. The doctor felt compelled to not act like God and said “Maybe 1%.” This led to 9 horrific days of ICU ventilator, full pressors, total sepsis, and finally I had to get the hospital’s ethics committee to say enough was enough. All this even though Dad told me just before he was put on the vent that he didn’t want it. But I was only the daughter. She was the wife. She wasn’t there to hear him say no because she was so busy terrorising the doctor in the hallway. Sad, sad, sad.

Not the doctor’s fault. He was put in an impossible situation.

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