Event: Australasian Association of Bioethics and Health Law 2011 Conference

June 24, 2011

July 7-10, 2011

Expectations, Hope and Futility: Law and Bioethics in Contemporary Healthcare.

* What is the role of Expectations (realistic or otherwise) in driving contemporary health care?
* To what extent can, or should, Hope be fostered – what are the harms and benefits?
* After 3 decades of defining, measuring and critiquing medical Futility, where are we in 2011?
* Do health consumers’ expectations and hope drive futile care measures across the spectrum of our healthcare system?
* Do health professionals’ misunderstanding of what would constitute a good outcome from the patient’s perspective drive futile care measures?
* What impact does this have on health service budgets?
* How are these considerations supported or denied in law within Australia and New Zealand?
* What are the roles of expectation and hope in medical research?
* How should we best frame these questions- ethically, legally or professionally?

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