Six barriers to end-of-life conversations
5th May 2015
Almost all doctors report difficulties with end-of-life conversations, according to a US survey, but the problem is exacerbated when the patient is of a different ethnic origin to them.
The survey involving 1040 doctors who care for seriously ill patients shows 86% find the discussions very challenging. And all but eight report problems.
The top six barriers identified by the Stanford University study are:
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Language and medical interpretation: discussions are challenging when