As noted in the Supreme Court of New Mexico case Morris v. Brandenburg, assisted suicide is the act of actively aiding other people in the taking of their own lives. Physician-assisted suicide, a subset of assisted suicide, involves the...
law and medicine
autopsy
Autopsy, borrowed from the Greek autopsia, meaning “the act of seeing with one’s own eyes” means the detailed medical examination, and/or dissection of a dead body to determine the cause of death, or for any scientific and medical purpose....
blood-alcohol content (BAC)
Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) is the level of alcohol (understood as ethanol) circulating in the bloodstream. For example, a BAC level of 0.20% means that a person’s bloodstream contains 0.20g/dL (milligrams per deciliter) of alcohol for every...
comfort care
Comfort care, also called palliative care, is medical care designed not to cure, but to reduce a patient’s pain and keep him or her comfortable. This kind of medical care focuses on the patient’s quality of life, usually toward his or her end of life....
Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, also known as COBRA, is a federal statute, passed in 1985, that provides employees and their families the right to continue group health benefits under an employers group health plan if...
controlled substance
A controlled substance is a drug, substance, or immediate precursor defined by the Uniform Controlled Substances Act. Under the Controlled Substances Act, it is unlawful, inter alia, for any person to manufacture, sell, prescribe, distribute...
Cruzan v. Missouri Department of Health (1990)
Overview:
Cruzan v. Missouri Department of Health (1990) is an important United States Supreme Court case involving an incompetent young adult and the “right to die.” This case was the first "right to die" case heard by the Supreme Court. In...
health
Broadly defined, health law includes the law of public health, health care generally, and medical care specifically. Preserving public health is a primary duty of the state. Health regulations and laws are therefore almost all administered at...
health care declaration
A health care declaration is a written legal document that sets out how a person should be cared for in case of an emergency or incapacity. It indicates a person's preferences for medical care when they are unable to make decisions for...
health care directive
A health care directive is a written legal document that sets out how a person should be cared for in case of an emergency or incapacity. It indicates a person's preferences for medical care when he or she is unable to make decisions for...