Catastrophic Diseases

An important contribution in the burgeoning literature relating to the delivery of medical care, and to the broader question of responsible decision-making in those social areas where tragic choices have to be made. The effort is an excellent example of research into, and therapy for, an important social process.

Jay Katz, Alexander Morgan Capron

1: Facts and Values; 1: Introduction to the Issues; 2: Analytical Framework; 3: The Role of Goals and Values; 4: The Development and Current Status of the Procedures; 2: Description of Participants- an Interactional Portrait; 5: The Authority and Capacity of Physician-Investigators; 6: The Authority and Capacity of Patient-Subjects; 7: The Authority and Capacity of Professional and Public Institutions; 3: Stages of Decisionmaking-Proposals and Recommendations; 8: The Formulation of Policy; 9: The Administration of Major Medical Interventions; 10: Review of Decisions and Consequences