Medical futility is best described as which?

• A. We should not recommend or provide treatments that could not help a patient.
• B. Medical futility requires experimental therapies to be attempted first.
• C. Medical futility applies only to pediatric patients.
• D. Medical futility means continuing all therapies regardless of prognosis.

Answer: (D)

Medical futility means pursuing treatments that are unlikely to provide a meaningful benefit for the patient given the prognosis and the patient’s goals. In practice, when a therapy cannot reasonably improve survival, function, or quality of life, it should not be recommended or continued. This concept guides care toward interventions that align with what is likely to help the patient, and it emphasizes discussing options with the patient or surrogate. It does not require trying experimental therapies first, it applies to patients of all ages, and it does not mean continuing all therapies regardless of prognosis.