Posted: May 1st, 2025

Healthcare Law and Ethics Discussion Post

End-of-life issues, particularly related to a patient’s right to die, are quite controversial. Details and answers are not always cut-and-dry. As such, end-of-life dilemmas can develop into extensive court hearings that can be escalated to the Supreme Court. One example is the case of Theresa Marie (“Terri”) Schiavo, a Florida woman who in a persistent vegetative state after suffering an anoxic brain injury secondary to a cardiac arrest. Her case was monumental in the area of disability rights and the right to die in the setting of terminal disease.

Read the decision highlights from the court case

Bush v. SchiavoLinks to an external site.

885 So. 2d 321 (2004) on pages 445-448 in The Law of Healthcare Administration.

Then, answer the questions below.

• Describe the religious, political, and sociological factors that may have influenced the drama from this case.

On what grounds, if any, might Congress have jurisdiction over these types of issues?

If this kind of case were to arise at your healthcare facility, how might you attempt to avoid this lengthy, contentious, and expensive conflict?