What is it about?
End of life decision making is challenging for many clinicians. As such they miss triggers and opportunities that can facilitate having these difficult conversations. This article discusses how using a structured approach can simplify and enhance the process and improve health outcomes for patients and their families.
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Why is it important?
This article is important because by knowing and recognizing triggers for end of life conversations, clinicians can improve health outcomes for their patients and their loved ones at the end of life.
Perspectives
In as much as end of life conversations are difficult and many clinicians avoid these difficult conversations or do them poorly, leading to poor outcome for their patients and their families, this can change. In my experience, using a structured approach to end of life decision making helps clinicians recognize triggers and opportunities for end of life conversations that are often missed. Such a strategy not only improves patient outcomes, it also reduces end of life ethics consultations and reduces conflicts between clinicians and patients and their families as well as conflicts among family members.
Dr Ama Kyerewaa Edwin
Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A Structured Approach to End-of-Life Decision Making Improves Quality of Care for Patients With Terminal Illness in a Teaching Hospital in Ghana, American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, November 2014, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/1049909114557350.
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