End-of-life Issues

The end of a patient’s life has been a difficult, complex, and often controversial aspect of
medicine, because, historically, death has been conceptualized as a “failure” on the
physician’s part. As our understanding of death has evolved, so has the physician’s
relationship to it, becoming a companion to the patient in their final moments. Moreover,
experienced doctors understand that during the last days of a person’s life, the focus must
be on maximizing quality of life rather than on prolonging it.
End-of-life Issues
The end of a patient’s life has been a difficult, complex, and often controversial aspect of
medicine, because, historically, death has been conceptualized as a “failure” on the
physician’s part. As our understanding of death has evolved, so has the physician’s
relationship to it, becoming a companion to the patient in their final moments. Moreover,
experienced doctors understand that during the last days of a person’s life, the focus must
be on maximizing quality of life rather than on prolonging it.
V End-of-life Issues
The end of a patient’s life has been a difficult, complex, and often controversial aspect of
medicine, because, historically, death has been conceptualized as a “failure” on the
physician’s part. As our understanding of death has evolved, so has the physician’s
relationship to it, becoming a companion to the patient in their final moments. Moreover,
experienced doctors understand that during the last days of a person’s life, the focus must
be on maximizing quality of life rather than on prolonging it.