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> I have a very hard time believing that doctors will be suggesting euthanasia to patients who might not otherwise consider it. There is no financial incentive

by Natsu 4y ago

> I have a very hard time believing that doctors will be suggesting euthanasia to patients who might not otherwise consider it. There is no financial incentive behind it This article provides evidence to the contrary: "Roger Foley, who has a degenerative brain disorder and is hospitalized in London, Ontario, was so alarmed by staffers mentioning euthanasia that he began secretly recording some of their conversations. In one recording obtained by the AP, the hospital’s director of ethics told Foley that for him to remain in the hospital, it would cost “north of $1,500 a day.” Foley replied that mentioning fees felt like coercion and asked what plan there was for his long-term care."

danbolt 4y ago
I’d note that the hospital administration was mentioning this, rather than a particular doctor providing care. Or, the former has a financial incentive to keep care costs low (especially given the current government in Ontario).
- Natsu 4y ago
  The one person named was an administrator, but it's not particularly clear who the "staffers" were. It's possible some of them were doctors, but it's hard to say. That said, I feel like the point here was that it wasn't likely to be pushed at people who hadn't asked, and yet it was, not that it was uniquely bad coming from a doctor vs. an administrator.
  - BeefWellington 4y ago
    The comment you quoted explicitly mentioned doctors and specifically mentioned the Hippocratic oath. You omitted that part of the sentence from the quotation in your reply but it was very clearly about Doctors.
    - Natsu 4y ago
      But "staffers" may well include doctors, and there's nobody here who can say either way unless someone steps up with the recordings. I left out the rest because I wanted to point out that there are people with financial incentives who did push this and I don't see why it matters if they're doctors or "staffers" or the hospital's Director of Ethics. If the Director of Ethics and their staff think this is appropriate, it'd be more surprising if the doctors didn't engage in the same.

by Natsu 4y ago

danbolt 4y ago

I’d note that the hospital administration was mentioning this, rather than a particular doctor providing care. Or, the former has a financial incentive to keep care costs low (especially given the current government in Ontario).

Natsu 4y ago
The one person named was an administrator, but it's not particularly clear who the "staffers" were. It's possible some of them were doctors, but it's hard to say. That said, I feel like the point here was that it wasn't likely to be pushed at people who hadn't asked, and yet it was, not that it was uniquely bad coming from a doctor vs. an administrator.
- BeefWellington 4y ago
  The comment you quoted explicitly mentioned doctors and specifically mentioned the Hippocratic oath. You omitted that part of the sentence from the quotation in your reply but it was very clearly about Doctors.
  - Natsu 4y ago
    But "staffers" may well include doctors, and there's nobody here who can say either way unless someone steps up with the recordings. I left out the rest because I wanted to point out that there are people with financial incentives who did push this and I don't see why it matters if they're doctors or "staffers" or the hospital's Director of Ethics. If the Director of Ethics and their staff think this is appropriate, it'd be more surprising if the doctors didn't engage in the same.