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Life support withdrawal: communication and conflict.
Sally A Norton1, Virginia P Tilden, Susan W Tolle
1Center for Clinical Research on Aging, University of Rochester School of Nursing, Rochester, NY, USA.
Summary
Family members experiencing conflict during end-of-life care decision-making reported unmet communication needs. Addressing these needs for timely, honest, and clear information can improve clinician-family communication and reduce stress.
Area of Science:
- Medical Communication
- Palliative Care
- End-of-Life Decision Making
Background:
- Effective communication between clinicians and families is crucial for end-of-life decision-making.
- Stressful situations, like critical illness and decisions about life-sustaining treatment, can impede communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine communication difficulties experienced by family members who had conflict with clinicians during end-of-life treatment withdrawal.
- To understand these challenges from the family's perspective.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative descriptive analysis.
- Study included 20 family members from 12 decedents who experienced conflict during care.
Main Results:
- Families identified unmet communication needs, including timely information, honesty, clarity, and clinician attentiveness.
- These needs were particularly evident during the transition from aggressive treatment to palliative care.
Conclusions:
- Addressing family communication needs can reduce conflict between clinicians and families during end-of-life care.
- Meeting these needs can decrease stress for both families and healthcare providers.