PERCEPTIONS OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, PATIENTS, AND FAMILIES ON DECISION TO DISCONTINUE LIFE-SUSTAINING TREATMENT

• Published in: Innovation in aging Vol. 7; no. Supplement_1; pp. 909 - 910
• Main Authors: Lee, Jooseon, Song, Eunjeong, Shin, Dongsoon, Yun, Seon Young, Eom, Minjeong, Oh, Suhee, Lee, Heejung, Song, Rhayun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: US Oxford University Press 21.12.2023
• Subjects: Abstracts
• ISSN: 2399-5300; 2399-5300
• DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igad104.2925

Abstract Withholding and withdrawing treatment is debated among health professionals who care for individuals at the end of life. This study aimed to compare the perception of life-sustaining treatment decisions by health professionals, patients, and families by providing data to guide medical professionals to support patients in making self-directed decisions about when to limit or continue their life-sustaining treatment. A descriptive survey was conducted with health professionals (220 from general tertiary hospitals) and 110 patients and their families. The majority of participants (85-95%) agreed with the suspension of meaningless life-sustaining treatment. In a clinical situation, the decision was made mainly by the family (84%), followed by the patient (10%) or the primary doctor (6%). However, the patients and their families reported that patients should make decisions (74%). The appropriate timing to discuss the suspension of the life-sustaining treatment was when the patients were still conscious but expecting severe deterioration” consistently reported by participants (45-58%). The most important factor during their decision-making would be “possibility of the patient’s recovery” by health professionals (43-55%), but “pain of the patients (58%)” was reported by the patients and their families. In conclusion, there is still a significant discrepancy in the perception of life-sustaining treatment decisions among health professionals, patients, and their families. The ambiguity of the timing for the decision to terminate life-sustaining treatment and the discrepancy between patients and their families’ opinions remain obstacles to implementing the Act to respect the patient’s right to self-determination and achieve the goal of a dignified end-of-life.