The combination of an increased aging population, terminal illnesses such as cancer, and the capability of modern life-support technology to prolong living has resulted in a number of studies examining end-of-life decision making.
Research about end-of-life decision making is increasing.
Types of Decisions
The types of decisions to be made, either jointly with family members and medical professionals or by the patient alone, include whether to refuse life-prolonging treatment and where to live when approaching death: at home or in a hospital, hospice or nursing facility.
Emotional Burden on Families
Researchers at Summa Health System in Ohio conducted a 2009 study in which 23 families were interviewed after a loved one died in a hospital intensive care unit. They found that when medical professionals satisfactorily communicated with family members, the emotional burden of end-of-life decision making was lightened.
Religious Beliefs
Yale University School of Medicine researchers studied 226 elderly participants in advanced stages of chronic illness in 2008 and found that people who felt their illness had helped them grow spiritually or strengthened their relationship with God were more willing to take medical risks to prolong living.
Video as Decision Aid
A research team led by physician Angelo Volandes of Massachusetts General Hospital in 2009 interviewed 146 people older than 40 regarding what type of end-of-life care they would prefer if they had advanced dementia. Then the study participants watched a video of a real patient with advanced dementia. After viewing it, a significant number of participants changed their end-of-life preferences and also expressed more confidence in their decision.
Cross-Cultural Studies
In their book "End-of-Life Decision Making: A Cross-National Study," editors Robert Blank and Janna Merrick report that the process of end-of-life decision making varies in different countries. For example, some put more emphasis on religious factors than others. And in countries with cultures that do not emphasize individuals' rights, patients and their families have little involvement with end-of-life decisions.
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