Articles: palliative-care.
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Palliative medicine · Jul 2000
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyAttitudes and beliefs of palliative care physicians regarding communication with terminally ill cancer patients.
The subject of communication between palliative care physicians and their patients regarding their diagnosis and prognosis has not been extensively researched. The purpose of this survey was to compare the attitudes and beliefs of palliative care specialists regarding communication with the terminally ill in Europe, South America, and Canada. A sample of palliative care physicians from South America (Argentina and Brazil), French-speaking Europe, and Canada were identified, and posted a questionnaire. ⋯ Canadian physicians were more likely to support autonomy as compared with beneficence. In summary, our findings suggest that there are major regional differences in the attitudes and beliefs of physicians regarding communication at the end of life. More research is badly needed on the attitudes and beliefs of patients, families, and health care professionals in different regions of the world.
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Palliative medicine · Jul 2000
ReviewCardiopulmonary resuscitation for palliative care patients: a discussion of ethical issues.
Medical advances have significantly improved the prognosis and life-expectancy for many patients with life-threatening illness. However, the ability to extend and prolong life increases the complexity of clinical decision-making, and this is particularly true in the context of palliative care. ⋯ It is in this setting that ethical dilemmas are likely to arise regarding the use of life-prolonging measures such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This paper considers some of the ethical issues surrounding the use of CPR for palliative care patients in the hospital setting.