Compassion and mercy are not helpful in resolving intractable family-physician conflicts on end-of-life care.

Abstract

"Compassion and mercy" are important values for humanizing medicine. There are limits, however, in their ability to help resolve disputes between physicians and families regarding appropriate end-of-life care. The recent cases of Charlie Gard and Alfie Evans in England highlight the issue. The English courts resolve such conflicts by an independent assessment of a court. The American judicial system does not share the centralized system of the English courts. In the United States Federal structure some 50 state legislatures and 50 state court systems go their separate ways. The result is differing, frequently conflicting, standards. We explore possible ways to avoid court involvement in the American context for resolving such disputes within the patient-physician relationship.