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Diagnosis with a Dose of Religion (bias alert)
The New York Times ^ | March 24, 2005 | John Schwartz and Denise Grady

Posted on 03/24/2005 1:06:12 PM PST by hocndoc

A Diagnosis With a Dose of Religion By JOHN SCHWARTZ and DENISE GRADY

Published: March 24, 2005

William P. Cheshire Jr., the Florida doctor cited by Gov. Jeb Bush yesterday in his announcement that he would intervene again in the case of Terri Schiavo, is a neurologist and bioethicist whose life and work have been guided by his religious beliefs.

Dr. Cheshire directs a laboratory at the Mayo Clinic branch in Jacksonville dealing with unconscious reflexes like digestion, and he is director of biotech ethics at the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, a nonprofit group founded by "more than a dozen leading Christian bioethicists," in the words of its Web site.

In an article last year in Physician magazine, published by the evangelical group Focus on the Family, Dr. Cheshire, 44, said doctors are too quick to declare that a patient is in a persistent vegetative state.

"I'm not sure the diagnosis is used consistently," he told Physician. "I am sometimes asked if a patient is in P.V.S., but it's only been a few days. By definition, you have to wait at least a month."

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Politics; Religion; Science; Society
KEYWORDS: bioethicsbias; mediabias; religiousbias; schiavo; terri; terrischiavo
I'm sorry that this is a registered site. I'm not sure how much I can post.

Here's part of what irritated me about this article: " Dr. Caplan said that was not good enough. "There is just no excuse for going in and making any pronouncement about the state that Terri Schiavo is in unless you're going to go in and do some form of technologically mediated scanning that would overturn what's on the record already," he said.

Dr. Ronald Cranford, a neurologist and medical ethicist at the University of Minnesota Medical School who has examined Ms. Schiavo on behalf of the Florida courts and declared her to be irredeemably brain-damaged, said, "I have no idea who this Cheshire is," and added: "He has to be bogus, a pro-life fanatic. You'll not find any credible neurologist or neurosurgeon to get involved at this point and say she's not vegetative." ""

But, in my letter to the editor at letters@nytimes.com, I wrote,

"Dr. Cheshire disclosed his background in his affidavit and explained why that background should not be used to evaluate his findings. I doubt that Arthur Caplan, Ph.D., or Dr. Ronald Cranford could or would do the same. The fact is that "Dr." Caplan approaches the Schiavo case from his own bias and without credentials to state whether a medical examination is superior to technology in diagnosing the mental status of any patient. Dr. Cranford's ad hominem attack speaks for itself and is unethical. If asked, I would say that I study Bioethics because of men who present themselves as bioethicists while behaving in this manner. "

Then I disclosed the many organizations I belong to, including FR.

1 posted on 03/24/2005 1:06:13 PM PST by hocndoc
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To: hocndoc

I've heard that Dr. Cheshire was allegedly a Nobel Prize nominee but it turned out that his "nomination" was made by an unqualified person. Do you know anything about this?


2 posted on 03/24/2005 1:39:04 PM PST by Semper
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To: Semper

That was the other doctor, Dr. Hammesfahr. He was nominated by his Congressman, I think.


3 posted on 03/24/2005 8:49:36 PM PST by hocndoc (Choice is the # 1 killer in the US)
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To: hocndoc

Felos tried the same 'he's just a Christian with an agenda' crap on CNN today. The death mongers don't see anything wrong with using 'Christian' as a smear term! I find the entire case to be disgusting, the politicians, the doctors, the lawyers, all have failed miserably to uphold the principles of this once great nation that value LIFE first, then Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.


4 posted on 03/24/2005 10:25:15 PM PST by MHGinTN (If you can read this, you've had life support from someone. Promote life support for others.)
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