Internet health--here, the public use of information Web sites to facilitate decision making on matters of health and illness--is a rhetorical practice, involving text and trajectories of influence. A fulsome account of it requires attention to all parts of the rhetorical triangle--the speaker, the subject matter, and the audience--yet most…

"Code status" is a prominent feature of end-of-life discussions in U.S. hospitals. This essay analyzes how the rhetoric of code status articulates the terms of end-of-life decision-making in one hospital's "Patient" Preferences Worksheet. The Worksheet signifies the abandonment of the technological fix as the preferred…

Recent changes in the conceptualization of informed consent in medical encounters are reviewed to help provide a better understanding of the concept itself and of some difficulties in philosophical justifications for the requirement of informed consent. (Author/MLW)

Long-term care of the elderly raises conflicts between personal autonomy and well-being. Assessments of decision-making capacity and definitions of negative and positive autonomy pose value-laden dilemmas for caregivers. (SK)

Discusses ethical and practical questions that arise in physician/patient interactions as a result of the rising prevalence of chronic illness, the growth of medical technology, and the increased differentiation of medical specialization. Issues considered include patients' rights, medical malpractice, informed consent, and the patient self-help…

Few differences in quality of life results are reported between different primary surgical treatments for breast cancer. Assumptions regarding the role of informed choice in psychosocial morbidity have not been substantiated, and fewer women than expected take an active role in decision making. Rigorous research is needed. (Author/EMK)

The roles of ethics and law in contemporary pharmacy practice are investigated. Four ethico-legal issues are discussed: profile maintenance and use, patient counseling, drug product selection, and delegation of professional tasks. The drug product selection movement has forced upon pharmacists a reassessment of ethical and legal standards.…