What is ethically proportionate life-sustaining treatment and care?
Treatment and care that have a reasonable hope of benefit for the patient (based on his or her condition, what the doctors expect, and how the patient responds to the treatment or care) are ethically proportionate. This type of treatment and care is also not excessively burdensome for the patient. For example, such treatment and care are not likely to cause serious medical complications and are not intensely distressful for the patient. This type of treatment and care also does not pose an excessive expense on the patient’s family or the community. A person is morally required to use this type of treatment and care.
