Management at the end of life. A dialogue about intending death

Physicians and the public at large have strong convictions about many issues, such as abortion, euthanasia, and intending death. The strength of these beliefs often colors the language used in argument and even the perception of the argument itself, highlighting the differences and obscuring the many similarities between the opinions of the parties debating. Such was the case at the start of a conference held in Annapolis, Md, from January 5 through 8, 1992, to explore the topic, "On Intending Death in Medicine."