Exploring family needs during withdrawal of life support in critically ill patients

Withdrawal of life support is a process where medical interventions are taken away from the patient with the expectation that the patient will die. This deliberate decision occurs when it is determined that medical options are exhausted and the prognosis is terminal. With this study, the primary family member of twenty adult patients who had undergone withdrawal of life support was contacted and interviewed by the research team 3-5 weeks after the patients' death. Interview questions related to their experience with the withdrawal of life support process. Specifically, whether or not the situation was anticipated, a description of the events surrounding withdrawal, events that made the process easier, and what they would like to see changed. This information was used to determine if and to what extent family needs are met and to determine if further interventions are required.