The situation becomes especially complex when the patient or a family member demands an intervention that the healthcare team considers to be futile. Futility can be exceedingly difficult to define. In fact, one healthcare provider is said to have stated, "I can't de- fine it but I know it when I see it." One possible definition is any treatment that is without any benefit to the patient. Since most treatments have the potential to provide at least minimal benefit futility is not always apparent to all members of the healthcare t the family and the patient(Pfeifer& Kennedy, 2006). This was the situation with Harriet Billings, the patient in the case study.