003 - Ethics: State-Erected Barriers to End-of-Life Care

This ethics roundtable discussion analyzes a case study where a patient's daughter-in-law, the primary caregiver, seeks to withdraw life support, but state law restricts surrogacy to blood relatives or spouses. The discussion explores the ethical and legal implications of this restrictive law, highlighting the conflict between the patient's best interests and the letter of the law. Experts in palliative medicine, spiritual health, law, and ethics contribute varying perspectives on surrogacy, advance care planning, and the need for legal reform to better accommodate diverse family structures and patient preferences. The authors advocate for a more flexible and ethically sound approach to surrogate decision-making.