Coma, Consciousness and Medical Humanities
A symposium organised by Professor Jenny Kitzinger of Cardiff University with the support of the Wellcome Trust was held on September 8th and 9th 2011.
Background Discussion Paper:
Disorders of consciousness: shaping a medical humanities initiative (PDF)
Presentations and Talks included:
- The Mental Capacity Act and the law re decision-making (Prof. Luke Clements)
- Independent Mental Capacity Advocates’ experiences of decision-making (Ms. Sue Lee)
- Family experiences’ of decision-making (Co-presented by Prof. Jenny Kitzinger and Prof. Celia Kitzinger)
- The MCA and decision-making in intensive care (Prof. David Menon)
- A neurosurgeon’s perspective on decision-making (Mr. Richard Hatfield)
- The role and powers of the Court of Protection (District Judge Gordon Ashton)
- The principles of Autonomy – a philosopher’s perspective (Prof. Wayne Martin)
- Best Interests: definition and debates – a bioethicist’s perspective (Prof. Bobbie Farsides)
- Translating science, medicine and technology into ethical practice (Prof. Clare Williams)
- The challenges for economic evaluation in the area of coma and consciousness (Prof. Nancy Devlin)
- The MCA and developing RCP guidelines on the treatment of people with disorders of consciousness (Prof. Lynne Turner Stokes)
- Medical Ethics and decision-making from the perspective of the British Medical Association (Dr. Julian Sheather)