Medical futility in Australia

This chapter reviews some of the recent literature concerned with end-of-life issues in Australia in order to provide an overview of the role of medical futility in end-of-life care in this country. It reveals an evolving approach to these issues that is influenced by a number of different domains of care, from general practice to intensive care units, and by a broad variety of decision makers governed by relatively new legislation and policy that concerns the use of advance directives. Despite the absence of a formal definition of medical futility in Australian policies, a broad consensus on the key elements of the concept and the role they play in guiding ethical practice is evident both in the law and in professional guidelines. This is evident in policies governing resuscitation orders and in recent efforts to facilitate a legal framework for advance care directives and to promote the use of such directives. Australia is striving to achieve a better understanding of end-of-life care within society and the healthcare community, as well as to promote best practice in decision making about medical futility and end-of-life care.