Concern's "Tough Decisions" Conference in Los Angeles November 30 - December 1 - Vol.10 No.3 - Summer 1984

Sep 29, 2026

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Concern’s “Tough Decisions” conference in Los Angeles (November 30–December 1) will use an Audience Response System (ARS) to let participants react immediately to complex medical decision-making discussions. Attendees will choose among five treatment options as facts change, enabling both faculty and audience to track the group’s evolving judgments. The sessions address rights and responsibilities in care, including patients, families, and healthcare professionals, and highlight recorded reactions that may reflect U.S. community norms. The issue also includes a glossary of life-support procedures.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

What are the rights of patients? What are their responsibilities?

Glossary of Life-Support Procedures

C.P.R. (CardioPulmonary Resuscitation)

L.V. (Intravenous)

Respirator/Ventilator

A remarkable device will make instantinteraction the hallmark of Concern'simportant conference on medical decision-making,"Tough Decisions:Controversiesin Foregoing Medical Care,"to be heldNovember 30-December 1 in Los Angeles. The Audience Response System(ARS),used for the first time in a conference ofthis type,will make it possible for partici-pants to react immediately to the presenta-tions of speakers. Each conferee,after hearing a discussionof a complex case of medical decisionmak-ing,will choose one of five treatmentoptions.The total audience response willbe registered electronically on a screen.Asthe discussion is broadened,or as new factsare added to the case example,confereeswillcontinue to respond.By this means,both audience members and faculty will beable to track how the group is reacting tothe constantly shifting balance of factors tobe considered.In effect,the discussionshould reflect the mercurial nature of a real-life situation. Audience reactions to each issue pre-sented will be recorded,perhaps helping toestablish at last what experts in the field ofmedical decisionmaking have found to belacking:a sense of what the American com-munity believes to be the norms and stan-dards that should be applied in controver-sial cases. Although the technology will help makethis Concern-sponsored conference unique,the issues to be considered are familiar,because they continue to be of criticalimportance: ## What are the rights of patients?Whatare their responsibilities? ● What is the role of the patient's fam-ily in determining the course of histreatment? Who has the right to make decisionsabout medical treatment? ● What is the responsibility of doctors,nurses and administrators when atreatment decision must be made? Vol.10 No.3—Summer 1984 # Concern's“Tough Decisions”Conference in Los Angeles November 30Will Give Participants Unique Role With Audience Response System Leader of sominarreveals newInformatlon andcalls for furtherresponseAt key points inIndlvldually chooe0Responses,tranemited toone of flve courses of actioncomputer,are instantly tallledby pressing button on terminel at sentand analyzed ARS device in USC classroom lets audience members register immediate response to program onstage.一Drawing by Hank Levinson Also speaking will be Dr.DavidJackson,Director of Health,State of Ohio,Columbus;Albert Jonsen,Professor ofEthics in Medicine,University of Califor-nia,San Francisco;Donald W.McKinney,Presidentof the Board of Directors of Con-cern for Dying;Leslie S.Rothenberg,attor-ney,Pacific Palisades,CA;Richard S.Scott,partner in Malley,Yelsky,Rosenfeld&Scott,lawyers,Beverly Hills,CA;Dr.Benard Towers,Professor of Pediatricsand Anatomy,Center for Health Sciences,University of California,Los Angeles,andDr.Laurens P.White,oncologist and inter-nist,Chairman,Council of the CaliforniaMedical Association,San Francisco. The faculty will include many of themore experienced professionals in the field,representing law,medicine,religion andacademia.They will be J.Dinsmore AdamsJr.,lawyer,partner at Webster &Sheffield,New York City;George J.Annas,EdwardUtley Professor of Health Law,BostonUniversity School of Medical Science andCommunity Medicine;Sister CorrineBayley,Director,Center for BiomedicalEthics,St.Joseph Health System,Orange,CA;DrRonald E.Cranford,Departmentof Neurology,Hennepin County MedicalCenter,Minneapolis,and Jay N.Hartz,principal in Weissburg and Aronson,lawyers,Los Angeles. Concern recommends that thoseinterested in participating in the unusualconference register as soon as possible.Aform for that purpose is printed on page 7of this Newsletter. IN THIS ISSUE.. ·a glossary of life-support procedures…. Registration is $175 each or $150 apiecefor two or more registrants representing thesame institution.Full-time students mayregister for $50.Registration at the confer-ence site will be $200.These fees will ·Wlllam Bartling's fight to be removedfrom a life-support system…. ·dramatic expa

FAQs

How does the Audience Response System (ARS) work at the conference?

Participants choose among five treatment options during discussions. Audience responses are registered electronically on a screen and can be updated as new facts are added.

Which topics will the conference address regarding patient care decisions?

The conference focuses on patient rights and responsibilities, the family’s role in determining treatment, and the rights and responsibilities of those making and carrying out treatment decisions.

What does “Code” and “No Code” mean in the provided glossary?

“Code” means initiating C.P.R. and calling the cardiac arrest team to attempt resuscitation. “No Code” means no attempts will be made to resuscitate.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Asher