Death and decision making among Minnesota physicians

A random sample of Minnesota physicians were surveyed as to their definitions of clinical death and willingness to override wishes of the reference groups of patient, family, hospital and community. Sixty-five percent defined clinical death to be brain death. For each of the reference groups, the majority of respondents indicated that there were situations warranting the physician's overriding those wishes; however, most physicians indicated that if the patient were competent to decide, he or she should have the final say.