Why do we make it so difficult to die well in American health care institutions?

Berkowitz Humanism in Medicine lectureship Jeff erson Medical College is grateful to Mr. Ed Berkowitz and his family for the generous donation that has established the Berkowitz Humanism in Medicine Lectureship. Th e Berkowitz Humanism in Medicine Lectureship will help engage Jeff erson’s students and physicians on various areas in medical humanism, including topics that will enhance their compassion toward patients, will improve their communication skills with patients, and will allow for a better understanding about how to practice medicine with a patient-centered vision of delivering improved humanistic medical care. Objectives of Today’s lecture • What are advanced directives and why don’t they work very well? • What matters to patients in terms of autonomy? • Should doctors be more paternalistic, and if so, how can this be done ethically? • How to make clear who has decision-making authority when patients cannot communicate or even when they can