What ethical issues are raised by the uncertainty inherent in prognosis?

“How long do I have, Doc?”
Ethical Issues in Prognostication for Older Adults

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Making predictions is part of every domain of life, including health care, and when the prediction of healthcare outcomes influences the decisions that are made or the actions that are taken as a result of the prediction, these predictions take on ethical dimensions. Dr. Smith will begin with a brief historical overview, describing the waning of the importance of prognosis in medicine over time. This will lead to a description of the importance of prognosis in palliative care and geriatrics. Dr. Smith will also address ethical issues raised by the uncertainty inherent in prognosis, and issues in the communication of prognosis to patients. Dr. Smith will discuss his work in this area, including a website for estimating prognosis for older adults (eprognosis.org and ePrognosis: Cancer Screening, available for free in iTunes).

Join us for Alexander Smith’s lecture on Thursday, December 11, 2014 from noon till 1 pm in person or online.

Alexander K. Smith, MD, MS, MPH, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Dr. Smith’s clinical training is in palliative medicine and general internal medicine, and his research interests are at the intersection of bioethics, palliative care, and aging. Dr. Smith is a Greenwall Faculty Scholar in Bioethics. In addition to writing for academic journals, Dr. Smith writes for his blog GeriPal. Dr. Smith was raised in East Lansing, Michigan, where his father, Blake Smith, taught at the College of Human Medicine, and where his mother, Margo Smith, currently works.

In person: This lecture will take place in E4 Fee Hall on MSU’s East Lansing campus. Feel free to bring your lunch! Beverages and light snacks will be provided.

Online: Here are some instructions for your first time joining the webinar, or if you have attended or viewed them before, go to the meeting!

Can’t make it? All webinars are recorded! View our archive of recorded lectures (over 30 lectures and counting!).