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Avoiding ICU is key to better quality of life near death
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted July 23, 2012
Dying patients have a higher quality of life as they approach death if they have a strong therapeutic relationship with their physicians, avoid hospitalization and the intensive care unit, pray or meditate, and receive pastoral care, says an Archives of Internal Medicine study published online in July.
Researchers examined a cohort of 396 patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers between 2002 and 2008 as part of the federally funded Coping With Cancer study. They later interviewed the patients upon enrollment and asked their caregivers about the patients’ quality of life and psychological and physical distress. Staying in the ICU during the final week before death had the biggest negative effect on quality of life, while prayer and meditation had the biggest positive impact, said the study (link).
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/07/23/prbf0723.htm.
