TORONTO, Jan 14 (LifeSiteNews.com) A study supported by the federal government and conducted by University of Toronto researcher Peter A. Singer, M.D, claims to have found that the number one concern of terminal patients is “avoiding inappropriate prolongation of dying.” The study, published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, reported that 61 per cent of the 126 participants “were afraid of ‘lingering’ and ‘being kept alive’ after they could no longer enjoy their lives.”
From their findings, the authors of the study conclude that “The current approach of asking for consent to specific treatments may not meet the needs of dying patients and their families.” Rather, they say the focus of “the use of life-sustaining treatment should be on the realistic and achievable goals of care.”
The study, conducted with HIV patients, dialysis patients, and residents of a long-term care facility, also identified 5 domains of quality end-of-life care: receiving adequate pain and symptom management, avoiding inappropriate prolongation of dying, achieving a sense of control, relieving burden, and strengthening relationships with loved ones.
A summary of the study is available here.