Conclusion

Evidence from the present study suggests that physicians respond to the chronically ill or terminally ill patient not simply in terms of physiological definitions of illness but also in terms of the extent to which the patient is capable of interacting with others. ¹ The treatable patient is one who can interact or who has the potential to interact in a meaningful way with others in his environment. The physically damaged salvageable patient whose life can be maintained for a considerable period of time is more likely to be actively treated than the severely brain-damaged patient or the patient who is in the last stages of terminal illness. The brain-damaged infant is also defined as untreatable by many physicians since he lacks the potential to establish social relationships with others. The unsalvageable infant is less likely to be actively treated than the salvageable infant, even if the latter is physically or mentally damaged.