Doctors often 'deeply conflicted' over end-of-life wishes
Futile treatments and out-of-date plans test doctors resolve to abide by advanced care directives: Aussie study
7th November 2019
Doctors can be “deeply conflicted” and sometimes struggle to comply with a patient’s end-of-life plans, especially if they feel the condition is treatable or they doubt the directive’s validity, an Australian study shows.
The Victorian researchers say that hospital specialists are motivated most by a patient’s best interests, ahead of respecting their autonomy, when making medical decisions based on advance care directives (ACDs).
“Doctors tended to rely on their own clinical judgement to make treatment decisions, sometimes overriding