A Proposal to Improve Rabbinic Decision-Making for Serious Medical Problems

This is an article form Hakirah vol. 11.
A rabbi is often consulted for advice by Jewish patients faced with a de-cision regarding medical treatments or operations that may pose serious health risks. Providing such advice carries a serious responsibility, and in order to optimize the likelihood of making the most appropriate decision possible, rabbis frequently consult with physicians to provide them with critical medical information. This paper discusses the potential role that an epidemiologist (a scientist and/or physician who studies the incidence, prevalence, spread, causes, prevention, and control of diseases in specified populations) might serve in addition to the rabbi’s medical consultant panel.