Life-sustaining Treatment For Patients Research Articles

DECISION MAKING ABOUT LIFE-SUSTAINING TREATMENT FOR UNREPRESENTED ADULTS IN KOREAN HOSPITALS

Abstract BACKGROUND In South Korea, unrepresented adults are individuals who lack decision-making capacity, written treatment preferences, and available immediate family. Since the enactment of the Life-Sustaining Treatment Decision Act in 2018, ethical and legal dilemmas surrounding decision-making about life-sustaining treatments for unrepresented patients have emerged among healthcare providers in hospitals. Thus, the objectives of this qualitative descriptive study were to explore decision-making practices about life-sustaining treatments for unrepresented patients. METHODS We interviewed 37 healthcare providers including physicians, nurses, and social workers from 22 hospitals in South Korea, and analyzed the interview data using a directed content analytic technique. RESULTS: Healthcare providers reported a lack of decision-making guidelines regarding life-sustaining treatments for unrepresented patients in their institutions or being uncertain about the presence of such guidelines. Physicians primarily make decisions about life-sustaining treatments for these patients. Ethics committees’ involvement in such decision-making is minimal in most hospitals. Basic life-sustaining treatments are usually initiated if necessary. However, life-sustaining treatments unrepresented patients are currently receiving cannot be discontinued even though those treatments seem pointless. Thus, additional life-sustaining treatments (e.g., extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) tend to be withheld. Important considerations in the decision-making process include the person’s reversibility, risk of adverse events, and medical costs. CONCLUSION: Decision-making about life-sustaining treatments for unrepresented patients is currently in legally blind spots in South Korea. Reforms in regulations and policies surrounding such decision-making practices for unrepresented patients and the development of institutional guidelines are urgently necessary to improve decision-making practices about life-sustaining treatments for these individuals.

Reflecting on ICU patient's dignity using Taylor's Emancipatory Reflection Model.

Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients not only require life-sustaining treatments but also the preservation of their psychological well-being and dignity, and ICU nurses face heavy work pressure, focusing more on life-sustaining treatments for patients, while the patient's psychological experiences are often overlooked. This article aims to explore the issue of nurse-led patient dignity preservation in the ICU from China. Reflection is a process of deep thinking and examining one's actions, experiences, perspectives, or emotions. It involves retrospectively reviewing, analyzing, and evaluating past events to gain insights, understanding, and personal growth. Through reflection, individuals can consider whether their actions align with their values and goals and whether they can learn valuable lessons from them. This article discusses the preservation of patient dignity in the ICU from China based on Taylor's Emancipatory Reflection Model, which involves four steps: constructing, deconstructing, confronting, and reconstructing. The process of reflection incorporates theories such as Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Comfort Theory, and the style of Paternalistic Decision-making. This study is of great significance in enhancing Chinese nurse's attention to patient dignity, improving the inpatient experience of ICU patients, and enhancing the quality of nursing practice by critically examining current nursing practices in China and providing improvement recommendations.

Measures of treatment burden in dialysis: A scoping review.

Dialysis is a life-sustaining treatment for patients with advanced kidney failure, but it is extremely burdensome. Despite this, there are very few tools available to assess treatment burden within the dialysis population. To conduct a scoping review of generic and disease-specific measures of treatment burden in chronic kidney disease, and assess their suitability for use within the dialysis population. We searched CINAHL, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library for kidney disease-specific measures of treatment burden. Studies were initially included if they described the development, validation or use of a treatment burden measure or associated concept (e.g., measures of treatment satisfaction, quality of life, illness intrusiveness, disease burden etc.) in adult patients with chronic kidney disease. We also updated a previous scoping review exploring measures of treatment burden in chronic disease to identify generic treatment burden measures. One-hundred and two measures of treatment burden or associated concepts were identified. Four direct measures and two indirect measures of treatment burden were assessed, using adapted established criteria, for suitability for use within the dialysis population. The researchers outlined eight key dimensions of treatment burden: medication, financial, administrative, lifestyle, health care, time/travel, dialysis-specific factors, and health inequality. None of the measures adequately assessed all dimensions of treatment burden. Current measures of treatment burden in dialysis are inadequate to capture the spectrum of issues that matter to patients. There is a need for dialysis-specific burdens and health inequality to be assessed when exploring treatment burden to advance patient care.

Recent Trends in the Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Treatment in Patients with Acute Cerebrovascular Disease : 2017-2021.

The Act on Life-Sustaining Treatment (LST) decisions for end-of-life patients has been effective since February 2018. An increasing number of patients and their families want to withhold or withdraw from LST when medical futility is expected. This study aimed to investigate the status of the Act on LST decisions for patients with acute cerebrovascular disease at a single hospital. Between January 2017 and December 2021, 227 patients with acute cerebrovascular diseases, including hemorrhagic stroke (n=184) and ischemic stroke (n=43), died at the hospital. The study period was divided into the periods before and after the Act. The duration of hospitalization decreased after the Act was implemented compared to before (15.9±16.1 vs. 11.2±18.6 days, p=0.127). The rate of obtaining consent for the LST plan tended to increase after the Act (139/183 [76.0%] vs. 27/44 [61.4%], p=0.077). Notably, none of the patients made an LST decision independently. Ventilator withdrawal was more frequently performed after the Act than before (52/183 [28.4%] vs. 0/44 [0%], p<0.001). Conversely, the rate of organ donation decreased after the Act was implemented (5/183 [2.7%] vs. 6/44 [13.6%], p=0.008). Refusal to undergo surgery was more common after the Act was implemented than before (87/149 [58.4%] vs. 15/41 [36.6%], p=0.021) among the 190 patients who required surgery. After the Act on LST decisions was implemented, the rate of LST withdrawal increased in patients with acute cerebrovascular disease. However, the decision to withdraw LST was made by the patient's family rather than the patient themselves. After the execution of the Act, we also observed an increased rate of refusal to undergo surgery and a decreased rate of organ donation. The Act on LST decisions may reduce unnecessary treatments that prolong end-of-life processes without a curative effect. However, the widespread application of this law may also reduce beneficial treatments and contribute to a decline in organ donation.

Ethical Issue of Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia.

With the implementation of Act on Hospice and Palliative Care and Decisions on Life-Sustaining Treatment for Patients at the End of Life, interests of the general public on self-determination right and dignified death of patients have increased markedly in Korea. However, "self-determination" on medical care is misunderstood as decision not to sustain life, and "dignified death" as terminating life before suffering from disease in terminal stage. This belief leads that physician-assisted suicide should be accommodated is being proliferated widely in the society even without accepting euthanasia. Artificially terminating the life of a human is an unethical act even though there is any rational or motivation by the person requesting euthanasia, and there is agreement thereof has been reached while there are overseas countries that allow euthanasia. Given the fact that the essence of medical care is to enable the human to live their lives in greater comfort by enhancing their health throughout their lives, physician-assisted suicide should be deemed as one of the means of euthanasia, not as a means of dignified death. Accordingly, institutional organization and improvement of the quality of hospice palliative care to assist the patients suffering from terminal stage or intractable diseases in putting their lives in order and to more comfortably accept the end of life physically, mentally, socially, psychologically and spiritually need to be implemented first to ensure their dignified death.

가톨릭 의료기관 임상윤리자문 활성화를 위한 지침과 방안에 대한 고찰

In the pluralistic society where the medical technology is highly advanced, the role of clinical ethics consultation that helps to solve the ethical conflicts in health care is getting important. Clinical ethics consultation is an activity to support informed, deliberative decision making on the part of patients, families, and the health care team in the patient care. In Korea, clinical ethics consultation was regulated as an activity of the institutional ethics committee with the enforcement of the 「Act on Hospice and Palliative Care and Decisions on Life-sustaining Treatment for Patients at the End of Life」 in 2018, However, most health care institutions in Korea do not provide clinical ethics consultation, and this situation is the same even for Catholic health care institutions, which account for 8 percent of health care in Korea. In particular, Catholic health care institutions should be able to provide effective ethical consultation with specific ethical guidelines and activation plans that are consistent with Catholic spirituality, even in the midst of rapid medical development and social/institutional changes. Therefore, it is judged appropriate to apply the 『Ethics and Religious Directive for catholic Health Care Service : ERDs』 published by United Conference of Catholic Bishops as an appropriate model for the corresponding ethical guidelines. In addition, the specific case of the Catholic Medical Center, which is making progress in activating clinical ethics consultation, can suggest a direction for the activation of clinical ethics consultation in other Catholic healthcare institutions and can be a exemple worth sharing with all medical institutions pursuing holistic health care. If clinical ethics advice is activated and properly operated in Catholic health care institutions, it will become the conscience of the institution communicating to realize the best interests of patients, and high quality health care services will be achieved by protecting the rights and conscience of medical staff. This will be of great help in protecting the identity of a Catholic health care institution serving human dignity and value in the increasingly industrialized medical field.

FAMILY PERCEPTION OF LIFE-SUSTAINING TREATMENT WITHDRAWAL IN PATIENT WITH SEVERE BRAIN INJURY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY IN BANDUNG-INDONESIA

Background: The decision-making process for withdrawing life-sustaining treatment (LST) in patients with severe brain injury can potentially become a problem between doctor and family because of different opinions. Objective: Explore the family consideration in withdrawing LST in patients with severe brain injury. Methods: This qualitative descriptive study with phenomenological approach conducted using semi-structured in-depth interview. Subjects were family members of coma patients due to severe brain injury and were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit in Hasan Sadikin General Hospital during January 2019 - December 2020. Results: The results of the five-participant interview showed that the considerations for withdrawing LST include: (1) the patient's condition, (2) family psychology, (3) resources, and (4) family beliefs. Conclusion: Doctors need to understand the family's considerations in terminating LST to bridge the inner conflicts that occur in the patient's family.

Changes in Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment in Patients Requiring Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation.

Background: Growing numbers of acute critical illness survivors experience chronic critical illness (CCI) marked by prolonged dependence on life support, delirium, and/or disability. There is minimal recent data on treatment limitations in CCI. Objectives: To evaluate the natural history of changes in orders for life-sustaining treatment (OLST) in patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation. Design: Retrospective cohort study of 410 patients who received tracheostomy in an intensive care unit for prolonged respiratory failure. Results: Three hundred twenty-four patients had one OLST throughout the admission, with no limitations on prearrest life-sustaining treatment or cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The 86 patients who underwent at least one change in OLST were older, had longer admissions, were more likely to be deceased at hospital discharge, and were more likely to have received specialty palliative care. Thirty percent of OLST changes occurred in the last week of admission. Conclusions: OLST occur infrequently and late in patients with CCI.

중환자실 환자의 연명의료중단 의사결정 상황에서의 간호사의 딜레마 경험: 증례 보고

With the enforcement of the “Act on decisions on life-sustaining treatment for patients at the end of life” in February 2018, discussion on advanced care planning (ACP) has increased. However, as decisions on life-sustaining treatments are still made in the intensive care unit, deaths related to the suspension of life-sustaining treatment account for a large proportion of deaths in the intensive care unit. The nurses encounter challenges in supporting the patient's dignified death; they experience an ethical dilemma in the ambiguity due to a lack of guidance on legal responsibilities regarding decisions on life-sustaining treatment. In order for the nurses to perform as a supporter providing care to the patients and as a advocate during the process of decision-making on life-sustaining treatment, there should be a systemic change to ensure the nurses' participation. In addition, an open and continuous discussion should be proposed to cultivate nurses’ ethical sensitivity and moral courage. This paper reports two ethical examples related to the decisions on life-sustaining treatment occurred in intensive care units of a tertiary hospital.

Understanding Cultural Beliefs of a Good Death by Older People in South Korea: An Integrative Review of the Literature.

With the enforcement of the Hospice and Palliative Care and Decisions on Life-Sustaining Treatment for Patients at the End-of-Life Act in 2018, interest in the quality of death in South Korea is increasing. However, few studies have provided an updated perspective on a good death. This integrative review describes the attributes of a good death from the perspective of South Korean older adults. Among the 32 studies included in this review, 16 main themes representing good death were identified. Themes of maintaining dignity, not burdening others, living a meaningful life, being pain-free, and being prepared to die were commonly reported attributes of a good death in other cultures; themes further reflected in Korean culture were filial piety and parenting. In contrast, older adult characteristics such as low income and education level, bereavement experience, disease uncertainty, and depressive symptoms were associated with high levels of fear of death or negative attitudes, such as trying to avoid suffering through death. This review provides insights into the health care provider's approach to older people at the end of their life in South Korea. Consequently, this can help determine potential unmet needs that can be improved.

Against Futility Judgments for Patients with Prolonged Disorders of Consciousness

Against Futility Judgments for Patients with Prolonged Disorders of Consciousness

A Preliminary Study to Improve Death Education for the Public and Medical Students after the Enforcement of the Life-Sustaining Treatment Decision Act

Considering the recent medicalization of death, the importance of preparing both laypersons and medical students to have meaningful end-of-life conversations, which is among the objectives of death education, will grow. The Act of Hospice and Palliative Care and Decisions on Life-Sustaining Treatment for Patients at the End of Life provided a new source of momentum to death education for both laypersons and medical professionals, as the importance of education on death is widely recognized. However, problems remain regarding how to prepare people for productive conversations at the end-of-life and how to secure the continuity of care. Different focuses and deficiencies are observed in death education programs for each category of learner. In education for laypeople, tangible information on how to actualize one’s existential and personal understanding of death through real-life options is lacking, except for presenting the “protocol” of the Act. Conversely, basic medical education lacks an understanding of or confrontation with death on the existential and personal levels. Death education should aim to build a shared understanding that can facilitate communication between the two groups. The scant overlap between layperson education and basic medical education even after the Act’s enactment is worrisome. Further fundamental changes in death education are required regarding its content. Topics that patients and doctors can share and discuss regarding death and end-of-life care should be discovered and provided as educational content both to laypeople and future medical professionals.

Functional Outcomes Over the First Year After Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury in the Prospective, Longitudinal TRACK-TBI Study

Moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (msTBI) is a major cause of death and disability in the US and worldwide. Few studies have enabled prospective, longitudinal outcome data collection from the acute to chronic phases of recovery after msTBI. To prospectively assess outcomes in major areas of life function at 2 weeks and 3, 6, and 12 months after msTBI. This cohort study, as part of the Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in TBI (TRACK-TBI) study, was conducted at 18 level 1 trauma centers in the US from February 2014 to August 2018 and prospectively assessed longitudinal outcomes, with follow-up to 12 months postinjury. Participants were patients with msTBI (Glasgow Coma Scale scores 3-12) extracted from a larger group of patients with mild, moderate, or severe TBI who were enrolled in TRACK-TBI. Data analysis took place from October 2019 to April 2021. Moderate or severe TBI. The Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOSE) and Disability Rating Scale (DRS) were used to assess global functional status 2 weeks and 3, 6, and 12 months postinjury. Scores on the GOSE were dichotomized to determine favorable (scores 4-8) vs unfavorable (scores 1-3) outcomes. Neurocognitive testing and patient reported outcomes at 12 months postinjury were analyzed. A total of 484 eligible patients were included from the 2679 individuals in the TRACK-TBI study. Participants with severe TBI (n = 362; 283 men [78.2%]; median [interquartile range] age, 35.5 [25-53] years) and moderate TBI (n = 122; 98 men [80.3%]; median [interquartile range] age, 38 [25-53] years) were comparable on demographic and premorbid variables. At 2 weeks postinjury, 36 of 290 participants with severe TBI (12.4%) and 38 of 93 participants with moderate TBI (41%) had favorable outcomes (GOSE scores 4-8); 301 of 322 in the severe TBI group (93.5%) and 81 of 103 in the moderate TBI group (78.6%) had moderate disability or worse on the DRS (total score ≥4). By 12 months postinjury, 142 of 271 with severe TBI (52.4%) and 54 of 72 with moderate TBI (75%) achieved favorable outcomes. Nearly 1 in 5 participants with severe TBI (52 of 270 [19.3%]) and 1 in 3 with moderate TBI (23 of 71 [32%]) reported no disability (DRS score 0) at 12 months. Among participants in a vegetative state at 2 weeks, 62 of 79 (78%) regained consciousness and 14 of 56 with available data (25%) regained orientation by 12 months. In this study, patients with msTBI frequently demonstrated major functional gains, including recovery of independence, between 2 weeks and 12 months postinjury. Severe impairment in the short term did not portend poor outcomes in a substantial minority of patients with msTBI. When discussing prognosis during the first 2 weeks after injury, clinicians should be particularly cautious about making early, definitive prognostic statements suggesting poor outcomes and withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment in patients with msTBI.

Organ donation after controlled circulatory death (Maastricht classification III) following the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment in Korea: a suggested guideline.

The “Act on hospice and palliative care and decisions on life-sustaining treatment for patients at the end of life” was enacted in February 2018 in Korea. Therefore, we suggest a Korean guideline for organ donation after circulatory death (DCD) category III after the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment (WLST). Implementation of WLST includes stopping ventilation, extubation, discontinuation of inotropics and vasoconstrictors, cessation of continuous renal replacement therapy, and cessation of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Medical staff involved in organ procurement or transplantation surgery cannot participate in the WLST process. Following cardiac arrest, 5 minutes of “no touch time” should pass, after which circulatory death can be declared. The procurement team can enter the room after the declaration of death. The final procurement decision is made after the surgeon visually checks the organ condition. DCD category III activation in Korea will help increase organ donation and reduce the demand-supply mismatch of organ transplantation.

Nurse roles in the advance directive system in Korea.

In 2016, the Act on Decisions on Life-Sustaining Treatment for Patients in Hospice and Palliative Care was implemented in Korea, providing a broad framework for end-of-life decision-making for the first time and making advance directives legally recognized documents. This Act can correct long-standing under-recognition of patients as valid decision makers for their own treatment choices. However, limited recognition of patient self-determination, rigid legal forms for documenting patient wishes, and the roles of family under the Act may pose challenges both to patients and nurses. This paper critiques whether this newly introduced system of advance directives can truly guarantee protection of the patient's interests and respect for patient autonomy in real life​, and discusses ethical and legal issues regarding the Act. We reviewed the current system of advance directives by raising three questions: (1) Do advance directives reflect a competent person's voluntary and informed choice?, (2) Are advance directives applicable in diverse clinical situations?, and (3) Does the Korean advance directive system ensure that such directives are honored in reality? Although the Act is an important first step in respecting patient autonomy in end-of-life decision-making, it remains inadequate as it fails to provide thorough guidance in terms of the quality of writing process, applicability, and the guaranteed effects of advance directives. As nurses are best situated for addressing these limitations due to their roles and competencies in clinical practice, expanding the roles of nurses in every stage of advance directive practice could help achieve the original purpose of advance directives. This calls for a policy that promotes an expanded role of nurses to improve the quality of advance directive practice.

The Situation of Life-Sustaining Treatment One Year after Enforcement of the Act on Decisions on Life-Sustaining Treatment for Patients at the End-of-Life in Korea: Data of National Agency for Management of Life-Sustaining Treatment.

PurposeThe “Act on Hospice and Palliative Care and Decisions on Life-Sustaining Treatment for Patients at the End-of-Life” was enacted on February 3, 2016 and went into effect on February 4, 2018 in Korea. This study reviewed the first year of determination to life-sustaining treatment (LST) through data analysis of the National Agency for Management of Life-Sustaining Treatment.Materials and MethodsThe National Agency for Management of LST provided data between February 4, 2018 and January 31, 2019 anonymously from 33,549 patients. According to the forms patients were defined as either elf-determinants or family-determinants.ResultsThe median age of the patient was 73 and the majority was male (59.9%). Cancer patients were 59% and self-determinants were 32.1%. Cancer patients had a higher rate of self-determinants than non-cancer (47.3% vs. 10.1%). Plan for hospice service was high in cancer patients among self-determinants (81.0% vs. 37.5%, p < 0.001). In comparison to family-determinants, self-determinants were younger (median age, 67 years vs. 75 years; p < 0.001) and had more cancer diagnosis (87.1% vs. 45.9%, p < 0.001). Decision of withholding or withdrawing of LSTs in cancer patients was higher than non-cancer patients in four items.ConclusionCancer patients had a higher rate in self-determination and withholding or withdrawing of LSTs than non-cancer patients. Continued revision of the law and education of the public will be able to promote withdrawing or withholding the futile LSTs in patients at end-of-life. Further study following the revision of the law should be evaluated to change of end-of-life care.

Life-Sustaining Treatment States in Korean Cancer Patients after Enforcement of Act on Decisions on Life-Sustaining Treatment for Patients at the End of Life.

PurposeIn Korea, the “Act on Hospice and Palliative Care and Decisions on Life-sustaining Treatment for Patients at the End of Life” was enacted on February 4, 2018. This study was conducted to analyze the current state of life-sustaining treatment decisions based on National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) data after the law came into force.Materials and MethodsThe data of 173,028 cancer deaths were extracted from NHIS qualification data between November 2015 and January 2019.ResultsThe number of cancer deaths complied with the law process was 14,438 of 54,635 cases (26.4%). The rate of patient self-determination was 49.0%. The patients complying with the law process have used a hospice center more frequently (28% vs. 14%). However, the rate of intensive care unit (ICU) admission was similar between the patients who complied with and without the law process (ICU admission, 23% vs. 21%). There was no difference in the proportion of patients who had undergone mechanical ventilation and hemodialysis in the comparative analysis before and after the enforcement of the law and the analysis according to the compliance with the law. The patients who complied with the law process received cardiopulmonary resuscitation at a lower rate.ConclusionThe law has positive effects on the rate of life-sustaining treatment decision by patient’s determination. However, there was no sufficient effect on the withholding or withdrawing of life-sustaining treatment, which could protect the patient from unnecessary or harmful interventions.

Changes in decision-making process for life-sustaining treatment in patients with advanced cancer after the life-sustaining treatment decisions-making act

BackgroundCancer is a leading cause of death in Korea. To protect the autonomy and dignity of terminally ill patients, the Life-Sustaining Treatment Decision-Making Act (LST-Act) came into full effect in Korea in February 2018. However, it is unclear whether the LST-Act influences decision- making process for life-sustaining treatment (LST) for terminally ill cancer patients.Methods This was a retrospective study conducted with a medical record review of cancer patients who died at Ulsan University Hospital between July 2015 and May 2020. Patients were divided into two groups: those who died in the period before the implementation of the LST-Act (from July 2015 to October 2017, Group 1) and after the implementation of the LST-Act (from February 2018 to May 2020, Group 2). We measured the self-determination rate and the timing of documentation of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) or Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) in both groups.ResultsA total of 1,834 patients were included in the analysis (Group 1, n = 943; Group 2, n = 891). Documentation of DNR or POLST was completed by patients themselves in 1.5 and 63.5 % of patients in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (p < 0.001). The mean number of days between documentation of POLST or DNR and death was higher in Group 2 than in Group 1 (21.2 days vs. 14.4 days, p = 0.001). The rate of late decision, defined as documentation of DNR or POLST within 7 days prior to death, decreased significantly in Group 2 (56.1 % vs. 47.6 %, p < 0.001). In the multivariable analysis, female patients (odds ratio [OR] 0.71, p = 0.002) and patients with more than 12 years of education (OR 0.70, p = 0.019) were significantly related to a reduced rate of late decision. More than 12 years of education (OR 0.53, p = 0.018) and referral to hospice palliative care (OR 0.40, p < 0.001) were significantly related to self-determination. Enforcement of LST-Act was related to a reduced rate of surrogate decision-making (OR 0.01, p < 0.001) and late decision (OR 0.51, p < 0.001). However, physicians with clinical experience of less than 3 years had a higher rate of surrogate decision-making (OR 5.08, p = 0.030) and late decision (OR 2.47, p = 0.021).ConclusionsAfter the implementation of the LST-Act, the rate of self-determination increased and decisions for LST occurred earlier than in the era before the implementation of the LST-Act.

Inter-physician variability in strategies linked to treatment limitations after severe traumatic brain injury; proactivity or wait-and-see

BackgroundPrognostic uncertainty is a challenge for physicians in the neuro intensive care field. Questions about whether continued life-sustaining treatment is in a patient’s best interests arise in different phases after a severe traumatic brain injury. In-depth information about how physicians deal with ethical issues in different contexts is lacking. The purpose of this study was to seek insight into clinicians’ strategies concerning unresolved prognostic uncertainty and their ethical reasoning on the issue of limitation of life-sustaining treatment in patients with minimal or no signs of neurological improvement after severe traumatic brain injury in the later trauma hospital phase.MethodsInterviews with 18 physicians working in a neurointensive care unit in a large Norwegian trauma hospital, followed by a qualitative thematic analysis focused on physicians’ strategies related to treatment-limiting decision-making.ResultsA divide between proactive and wait-and-see strategies emerged. Notwithstanding the hospital’s strong team culture, inter-physician variability with regard to ethical reasoning and preferred strategies was exposed. All the physicians emphasized the importance of team—family interactions. Nevertheless, their strategies differed: (1) The proactive physicians were open to consider limitations of life-sustaining treatment when the prognosis was grim. They initiated ethical discussions, took leadership in clarification and deliberation processes regarding goals and options, saw themselves as guides for the families and believed in the necessity to prepare families for both best-case and worst-case scenarios. (2) The “wait-and-see” physicians preferred open-ended treatment (no limitations). Neurologically injured patients need time to uncover their true recovery potential, they argued. They often avoided talking to the family about dying or other worst-case scenarios during this phase.ConclusionsDepending on the individual physician in charge, ethical issues may rest unresolved or not addressed in the later trauma hospital phase. Nevertheless, team collaboration serves to mitigate inter-physician variability. There are problems and pitfalls to be aware of related to both proactive and wait-and-see approaches. The timing of best-interest discussions and treatment-limiting decisions remain challenging after severe traumatic brain injury. Routines for timely and open discussions with families about the range of ethically reasonable options need to be strengthened.

Hospice and Palliative Care Education for Medical Students in Korea

Hospice and palliative care (HPC) education is an essential component of undergraduate medical education. Since February 4th, 2018, withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment at the end of life (EOL) has been permitted in Korea as put forth by law, the “Act on Hospice and Palliative Care and Decisions on Life-Sustaining Treatment for Patients at the End of Life.” Therefore, Korean medical schools have faced a challenge in providing comprehensive HPC education in order to better prepare medical students to be competent physicians in fulfilling their role in caring for patients at the EOL. There have been considerable variations in the evolution and organization of HPC education across Korean medical schools for the past 20 years. In 2016, all medical schools taught HPC curriculum as a separate course or integrated courses, with the most frequently taught topics including: delivering bad news, pain management, and the concept of palliative medicine. However, the content, time allocation, learning format, and clinical skills practice training of HPC education have been insufficient, inconsistent, and diverse. For this reason, we propose a HPC curriculum containing seven domains with 60 learning objectives in a course duration of over 20 hours based on the Palliative Education Assessment Tool (PEAT) as standard HPC curriculum. Furthermore, we recommend development of a national curriculum for HPC/EOL care education to be organized by the HPC board and managed under the accreditation criteria of the Korea Institute of Medical Education and Evaluation.