Family Decision-Making to Withdraw Life-Sustaining Treatment for Terminally-Ill Patients in an Unconscious State

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand family members’ experience of deciding to withdraw life-sustaining treatments for terminally-ill patients in an unconscious state. Methods: Data were collected by performing an in-depth interview with eight terminally-ill patients’ family members who decided to withdraw life-sustaining treatments. Colaizzi’s phenomenological method wa s used for data analysis. Results: Questions were classified into 12 groups and finally into five categories. The five categories were about family members ’ frustration with patient ’s condition, emotional preparation for the patient’s death upon medical professionals’ recommendation, patient’s wishes, exhaustion due to caring and past experiences related to life-sustaining treatment. Conclusion: Using the five categories, hospice and palliative professionals could better understand family members’ decision making experience of withdrawing life-sustaining treatments for terminally-ill patients. Based on that, the family members could be provided with appropriate counseling and care, which in turn could improve hospice and palliative care intervention. (Korean J Hosp Palliat Care 2012;15:147-154)Key Words: Terminally ill, Family, Withholding treatment, Qualitative rese arch서론