Approaching death: A literature review on end-of-life care

Type :

Presentation

Pages :

6 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

09/09/2008

Category :

Philosophy & literature

Sub category :

Humanities/philosophy

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Summary :

Introduction.
Literature review.
End of life care and the law.
Clinical perceptions and liability concerns.
Proposed solutions.

Abstract

Before the 1950's most people died in their homes, surrounded by family. They often died quickly of illnesses such as influenza, measles or scarlet fever. Today, as medical technology creates more and more tools and medicines to prolong lives, human beings are faced with the difficult process of living with chronic diseases. Currently, many patients and their families are questioning the belief that a longer life necessarily equates with to a higher quality of life. Instead of embracing medical technology that could forestall death, some patients have begun to change the focus onto the quality of their own deaths.Studies show that the majority of human beings will die from the degenerating consequences of chronic disease. This inevitable dying process, by virtue of significant advances in medical technology, can be prolonged for greater periods than in our recent human past. However, the quality of this final phase of life is now a widespread, publicly voiced concern. Planning for end-of-life care is an important social, legal, and ethical issue. The federal government, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), and state laws have set mandates on the patient environment, as well as related community education efforts regarding end-of-life care