Wishes to Die of Palliative Cared People in Serious Illness

Lisa-Marie Müller:

On the Significance of Family in Decision Processes about the Renunciation or Termination of a Life-Prolonging Intervention in a Palliative Care Unit. A qualitative interview study

The study examines the importance palliative patients attach to the family in the context of decision-making processes at the end of life. Simultaneously, the concept of family will be examined in terms of its meaning. Thus, not only traditional family members (relatives) will be considered, but also those persons whom the patient describes as belonging to his family (family members).

With regard to the non-family members and family members of the palliative patient, the question arises not only about the - possibly different - role or significance they play in decisions in the special situation: How do patients experience and interpret their autonomy with regard to the decisions to be made at the end of life and the relationships that are significant in this context? How are the importance and role of the family reflected by health professionals?

The decisions to be made at the end of life are diverse and related to the patient's personal situation. They do not only concern medically relevant matters and are therefore of different nature. In the study, we will focus on decision-making processes that concern life-prolonging medical measures. This can still include a great deal. The concrete topic of the decision (resuscitation, intensive medical therapy, artificial nutrition, antibiosis, etc.) should also be recorded and will form the topic of the interview discussions. If necessary, it can be derived from existing patient decrees of the study participants.

Five patient cases in the palliative care unit of the UKSH Lübeck were surveyed with qualitative interviews to investigate the research question.

Poster at the World Congress of Bioethics, IAB, Edinburgh 2017

Promotor: Prof. Christoph Rehmann-Sutter