Which statement best describes medical futility?

• A. Treatments that are unlikely to provide significant benefit for the patient therefore should not be performed
• B. Treatments that cure a disease
• C. Treatments that are expensive
• D. Treatments that extend life regardless of quality

Answer: (A)

Medical futility refers to interventions that are unlikely to provide a meaningful benefit to the patient, given the clinical situation and the patient’s goals of care. When a treatment has little to no chance of improving outcomes that matter to the patient—such as survival, function, or quality of life—it can be considered futile and decisions may be made to withhold or withdraw it. This concept isn’t about curing a disease, about cost, or about extending life at any cost without regard to quality; those ideas don’t define futility. In practice, futility is about the balance between the likelihood of meaningful benefit and the patient’s values and goals.