Medical Professionals' Perceptions of and Experiences With Terminally Ill Orthodox Jewish Patients

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Palliative Care
• Cultural Competency in Healthcare

Background:

• Orthodox Jewish patients have unique end-of-life care needs influenced by religious law (halakha) and cultural norms.
• Understanding healthcare professionals' perceptions is crucial for improving care quality for this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate baseline perceptions and experiences of medical professionals caring for Orthodox Jewish patients with terminal illnesses.
• To identify challenges and facilitators in providing end-of-life care to this specific demographic.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement project utilizing a survey distributed to healthcare professionals.
• Survey included demographics, multiple-choice questions, and a free-text section.
• Participants were from Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Oncology, and Palliative Care/Hospice teams.

Main Results:

• 73 medical professionals responded.
• Orthodox Jewish patients are more likely to request aggressive end-of-life measures and less likely to have advanced directives or healthcare power of attorney.
• Rabbinic authority involvement in decision-making is not always consistent.

Conclusions:

• Strong religious and community support are positive aspects of care.
• Medical teams should initiate early communication with rabbinic authorities when desired by patients.
• Data informs future strategies to enhance end-of-life care quality for Orthodox Jewish patients and their families.