The intense national attention brought to the Terri Schiavo case has created a poignant atmosphere for the upcoming El Camino Hospital ethics conference.
The sixth annual event, “Do No Harm: Applying Ethical Principals in Clinical Practice,” scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, at St. Timothy’s Church Parish Hall in Mountain View, will be presented by the hospital’s ethics committee. The program features segments on “Palliative Care (pain control),” “Medical Errors” and a panel discussion for the general public on “Issues of Surrogacy.”
Betsy Carpenter, a member of the ethics committee participating in that panel discussion, said the Schiavo case points to the importance of anyone over 18 having an “advanced care directive.” Such directives are specific instructions a person can give regarding medical care in the event he or she is incapacitated.
“It’s about patient rights. It’s about protecting those rights. It’s about others not making decisions for you,” she listed among the reasons for getting the directive.
Carpenter, also a counselor with the hospital’s health resource center and library, said the lack of such a directive in Schiavo’s case triggered the longstanding family debate and subsequent court battles over her fate. Schiavo has remained in a persistent vegetative state since suffering brain damage in 1990.
Carpenter, who has been involved in all the hospital’s ethics conferences, said the event started because “it was the right thing to do. The hospital is charged with the responsibility of educating the public.”
The “Palliative Care” session, which dominates the morning’s activity, will have experts exploring the psychological, social and physical surroundings that can add to pain control. A third session on medical errors, involves medical professionals discussing how and when to talk with patients about mistakes - and how to apologize.
The conference is geared to both the general public and health-care professionals. Fees are $55 per person ($45 for seniors), which includes lunch. For more information or to register, call (800) 216-5556.
