Bioethics for clinicians: 15. Quality end-of-life care.
A physician who receives a call from the emergency department to see a patient with heart failure will have a clear framework within which to approach this problem. The thesis of this article is that physicians do not have an analogous conceptual framework for approaching end-of-life care. The authors present and describe a framework for end-of-life care with 3 main elements: control of pain and other symptoms, the use of life-sustaining treatments and support of those who are dying and their families. This 3-part framework can be used by clinicians at the bedside to focus their effort in improving the quality of end-of-life care.
University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics, ON. peter.singer@utoronto.ca
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Singer
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MacDonald
D032722:Advance Care Planning; D001675:Bioethics; D002170:Canada; D015510:Clinical Medicine / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D028601:Euthanasia, Active; D006801:Humans; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D028761:Withholding Treatment