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KMID : 1025620160190010060
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Korean Journal of Medical Ethics
2016 Volume.19 No. 1 p.60 ~ p.73
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The Attitude of Doctors towards End-of-Life Care Decision-Makings in Korea: Focused on Palliative Sedation
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Oh Seung-Min
Park Mi-Hyun
Kim Young-Hoon
Kim Pyung-Man
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Abstract
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Palliative sedation (PS) is used to deal with refractory symptoms in terminally ill patients when all other palliative approaches have failed. While it is not performed with the intention of hastening death, it remains one of the most contentious medical practices in the context of palliative medicine. This study aims to investigate the perception of doctors towards PS and other types of end-of-life care, and to provide insight for developing medical guidelines for PS. A survey involving a written questionnaire was conducted on doctors in five hospitals in South Korea. The questionnaire contained five statements concerning medical decisions about types of end-of-life care, including PS. Doctors were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with each statement. A total of 84 questionnaires were analyzed, with a response rate of 93.2%. The percentages of agreement with the given statements on PS, voluntary active euthanasia (VAE), physician assisted suicide (PAS), withholding life-sustaining treatment, and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment are 47.6%, 8.3%, 4.7%, 73.8% and 20.2%. The majority of the doctors surveyed in this study do not support PS for terminally ill patients in severe pain. The results of this study suggest that appropriate medical guidelines and post graduate medical ethics education on the end-of-life decisions should be provided for doctors in Korea.
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KEYWORD
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end-of-life care, palliative sedation, medical guidelines, doctors` perceptions, post graduate medical education
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