TUESDAY, Aug. 25 (HealthDay News) -- When deciding whether to turn off life support for a loved one, family members aren't always interested in their doctor's advice, new research shows. The finding runs counter to assumptions among critical-care providers that families making such a heart-wrenching choice would welcome a physician's impartial opinion. Family members often make the decision based on what they believe the patient would have wanted. "This puts an enormous emotional burden on surrogates; not only are they losing a loved one, they also may feel burdened by guilt about allowing the patient to die," White said. "It was therefore assumed by some in the medical community that a doctor's dispassionate advice could reduce some of that burden and help surrogates make a good decision with less second-guessing themselves."
"This is an important article that has changed my clinical practice," said Curtis, a professor of medicine and section head of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. "I had previously assumed that almost all families would want physicians' recommendations, but these findings indicate that there is no such consensus among surrogates. I suspect that physicians can do more harm by withholding a recommendation that is desired than by providing a recommendation that is not desired, but this study suggests we should ask rather than assume." The study appears in the August 15 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. (From: Healthfinder)
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