Dr. Atul Gawande: Make End Of Life More Humane

Found this article on NPR’s website I found to be interesting from the doctor’s point-of-view. Dr. Atul Gawande, a surgeon and staff writer foe the New Yorker magazine, began researching hospice and end-of-life care options because he says he didn’t know how to broach the subject of death with his terminally ill patients. He writes about the difficulties faced by medical professionals who must decide when to stop medical interventions and focus on improving the final days of life in his article “Letting Go” in the Aug. 2 New Yorker.

Gawande talks about the need or medical professionals to know how to help a dying patient achieve what’s most important to them. He tells Fresh Air‘s Terry Gross that physicians are hesitant to tell patients that there’s nothing else they can do, even if statistics show procedures are unlikely to work.

The use of directives is essential, as well as conversations with family members to understand what their options are and honor the wishes of the patient.