Table 4.

Ethical reasoning in consensus finding

CEC recommendation was primarily oriented towards…	Therapy	The patient’s will	n = 27
… the patient’s will	positive and consenting will as decisive for the implementation or continuation of a medical therapy	expressed by the patient himself/herself	1	11
		assumed to be his/her presumed will	2
		natural will	1
	patient’s will lead to a limitation of therapy	"living will"	4
		assumed to be his/her presumed will	3
… the patient’s best interest	implementation or continuation would serve the patient’s best interest		1	10
		presumed will does not exclude this therapy	3
		realistic chance that the patient’s health situation would improve, enabling him/her to decide	1
		presumed consent	3
	implementation or continuation would not serve the patient’s best interest		2
Participants assessed differently whether the patient was able to consent			1
Participants assessed differently what the patient’s will would be or what would be in his/her best interest			1
Uncertainty among the treating physicians regarding the prognosis			4