RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Preventing Life-Sustaining Treatment by Default
JF The Annals of Family Medicine
JO Ann Fam Med
FD American Academy of Family Physicians
SP 250
OP 256
DO 10.1370/afm.1227
VO 9
IS 3
A1 Ursula K. Braun
A1 Laurence B. McCullough
YR 2011
UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/9/3/250.abstract
AB Many physicians will at some point care for patients who will receive life-sustaining treatment by default, because there are no instructions available from the patient as to what kind of care is preferred, and because surrogates are likely to ask for everything to be done when they do not know a patient’s preferences. We use the methods of ethics informed by qualitative focus group research to identify 5 pathways to life-sustaining treatment by default originating with the patient’s preferred decision-making style: deciding for oneself or letting others decide. We emphasize preventing the ethically unwelcome outcome of life-sustaining treatment by default by increasing the frequency with which patients make clear decisions or clearly express their values and goals that they then communicate to physicians or surrogates.