The question of how much care at the end of life is a dilemma with no easy answers. Ultimately, it is best approached by understanding the patient’s perspective within the context of his or her family:
What does the patient want?
What does the family want?
What are the spiritual beliefs that play into treatment decisions?
What are the clinical realities of the situation?
This study looks at these issues and concludes that end of life outcomes improve “with the provision of spiritual support from medical teams” combined with “medical decision making that values statements given my patients and family members.”
Click here to read Approaching patients and family members who hope for a miracle.