Complex Issues. Thoughtful Answers. When is it right to remove a feeding tube from a patient? Are health care workers entitled to conscience protections? Should contraceptives be used for medical purposes? Is medical marijuana ever OK? Medical and technological advances have left millions of Catholics grappling with tough issues--dilemmas that will only multiply as technology and medicine continue to develop at an ever-faster pace. In this updated and expanded edition of Life Issues, Medical Choices, two noted bioethicists explore fundamental principles of Catholic thought--in accessible, easy-to-understand language--to help you make decisions about complex medical and life issues.

Reviews the issues involved in most of the principal medical-ethical dilemmas that face our society from a multidisciplinary point of view. Updated to reflect the many changes that have occurred in medical-ethical issues.

With the many medical options available for ourselves and loved ones, how do we make informed decisions which draw upon our Catholic tradition and so respect our human dignity and the dignity of others? This small book, using question-answer format, addresses topics that touch: On the beginning of human life medical responses to infertility, stem cell research, etc. On life "in between" organ donation, genetic testing, experimental treatment, etc. On the end of life pain management, euthanasia, withdrawing life support, cremation, etc. "In "Life, Death, and Medical Choices: 50 Questions from the Pews, " Revs. Black and O'Neil bring professional training in Catholic ethics into dialogue with questions that people in the pews must face. Using precise language they help us understand the core values of respect for life and human dignity that are the heart of moral analysis and pastoral theological reflection. Fr. Kevin O'Neil, C.Ss.R., coauthor of "50 Questions from the Pews: Life, Death, and Catholic Medical Choices," was interviewed by Fr. Dave Dwyer on The Busted Halo Show (Sirius Satellite Radio) on April 26, 2011. http: //www.bustedhalo.com/videoandaudio/interview-father-kevin-oneil-co-author-life-death-and-catholic-medical-choices-50-questions-from-the-pews View sample pages. "Paperback"

While surveys show that most of us would prefer to die at home, 80% of us will die in a health care facility, many hooked up to machines and faced with tough decisions. When you, a family member, or a friend are in this situation, what should you do next? In Embracing Our Mortality, Dr. Lawrence J. Schneiderman, a physician who is our leading expert on medical ethics at the end of life, urges all of us, including health care professionals caring for people at the end of life, to face these decisions with sensitivity and realism informed by both the latest medical evidence as well as the oldest humanistic visions. Dr. Schneiderman vividly demonstrates the wisdom of this approach by interweaving true stories of his patients, current empirical research in care at the end of life, displays of the power of empathy and imagination as embodied in the work of writers like Tolstoy and Chekov, and examples of how the distortion of medical research by media, and its misunderstanding even by health care professionals, cloud the ability to think, feel, and decide clearly about mortal concerns. He ends by addressing the question implicit in all of this which is how to achieve a just and universal health care. Dr. Schneiderman proves a refreshingly honest, astringent, and life-affirming guide to thinking about the choices that we or people we love will face when we dienot if, as the technological imperatives of modern medicine can suggestand to making decisions at the end of life that respect all that has preceded it.

Making healthcare decisions is hard, but making the right choices has never mattered more. Healthcare Choices: 5 Steps to Getting the Care You Want and Needgives you the tools you need to choose the best medical care—for you. Archelle Georgiou, MD, explainsher CARES model, the formula she developed to help family, friends, and thousands of television viewers make smart healthcare decisions that balance the best medical options with individual preferences. Using more than 30 real-life stories and insider tips, she demonstrates how to use this step-by-step guide to access the medical information you need to evaluate your options and make well-informed choices. Whether you are addressing a life-threatening illness, self-managing a minor ailment, selecting a doctor, or buying insurance, Georgiou’s roadmap shows you how to be an active participant in your care. Her “go to” approach describes how to: Identify all treatment options for an illness, including those not mentioned by your doctor. Make treatment decisions that reflect your priorities and preferences. Find the best doctor to treat your condition. Communicate with your doctor and make shared treatment decisions. Choose the health insurance plan that’s right for you. Maintain a voice in your lifestyle as you age. Healthcare Choiceswill give you the confidence to advocate for the healthcare you want, need, and deserve.

Critical Decisions is the most important book on the patient-doctor relationship to date. In this revolutionary book, practicing physician, behavioural scientist, and bioethicist Peter Ubel reveals how hidden dynamics keep us, and our loved ones, from making the best medical choices.

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