Forgoing treatment at the end of life in 6 European countries
(2005) In Archives of Internal Medicine 165(4). p.401-407- Abstract
- Background: Modern medicine provides unprecedented opportunities in diagnostics and treatment. However, in some situations at the end of a patient's life, many physicians refrain from using all possible measures to prolong life. We studied the incidence of different types of treatment withheld or withdrawn in 6 European countries and analyzed the main background characteristics. Methods: Between June 2001 and February 2002, samples were obtained from deaths reported to registries in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland. The reporting physician was then sent a questionnaire about the medical decision-making process that preceded the patient's death. Results: The incidence of nontreatment decisions, whether or... (More)
- Background: Modern medicine provides unprecedented opportunities in diagnostics and treatment. However, in some situations at the end of a patient's life, many physicians refrain from using all possible measures to prolong life. We studied the incidence of different types of treatment withheld or withdrawn in 6 European countries and analyzed the main background characteristics. Methods: Between June 2001 and February 2002, samples were obtained from deaths reported to registries in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland. The reporting physician was then sent a questionnaire about the medical decision-making process that preceded the patient's death. Results: The incidence of nontreatment decisions, whether or not combined with other end-of-life decisions, varied widely from 6% of all deaths studied in Italy to 41% in Switzerland. Most frequently forgone in every country were hydration or nutrition and medication, together representing between 62% (Belgium) and 71% (Italy) of all treatments withheld or withdrawn. Forgoing treatment estimated to prolong life for more than I month was more common in the Netherlands (10%), Belgium (9%), and Switzerland (8%) than in Denmark (5%), Italy (3%), and Sweden (2%). Relevant determinants of treatment being withheld rather than withdrawn were older age (odds ratio [OR], 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31-1.79), death outside the hospital (death in hospital: OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.68-0.93), and greater lifeshortening effect (OR, 1.75; 95% Cl, 1.27-2.39). Conclusions: In all of the participating countries, life prolonging treatment is withheld or withdrawn at the end of life. Frequencies vary greatly among countries. Low technology interventions, such as medication or hydration or nutrition, are most frequently forgone. in older patients and outside the hospital, physicians prefer not to initiate life-prolonging treatment at all rather than stop it later. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/252124
- author
- Bosshard, G ; Nilstun, Tore LU ; Bilsen, J ; Norup, M ; Miccinesi, G ; van Delden, JJM ; Faisst, K and van der Heide, A
- organization
- publishing date
- 2005
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Archives of Internal Medicine
- volume
- 165
- issue
- 4
- pages
- 401 - 407
- publisher
- American Medical Association
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000227265900006
- pmid:15738368
- scopus:14044267546
- ISSN
- 0003-9926
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 5019353d-ed00-4e4c-8379-4e6ad6682650 (old id 252124)
- alternative location
- http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/165/4/401
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 12:20:12
- date last changed
- 2022-01-27 02:12:52
@article{5019353d-ed00-4e4c-8379-4e6ad6682650,
abstract = {{Background: Modern medicine provides unprecedented opportunities in diagnostics and treatment. However, in some situations at the end of a patient's life, many physicians refrain from using all possible measures to prolong life. We studied the incidence of different types of treatment withheld or withdrawn in 6 European countries and analyzed the main background characteristics. Methods: Between June 2001 and February 2002, samples were obtained from deaths reported to registries in Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland. The reporting physician was then sent a questionnaire about the medical decision-making process that preceded the patient's death. Results: The incidence of nontreatment decisions, whether or not combined with other end-of-life decisions, varied widely from 6% of all deaths studied in Italy to 41% in Switzerland. Most frequently forgone in every country were hydration or nutrition and medication, together representing between 62% (Belgium) and 71% (Italy) of all treatments withheld or withdrawn. Forgoing treatment estimated to prolong life for more than I month was more common in the Netherlands (10%), Belgium (9%), and Switzerland (8%) than in Denmark (5%), Italy (3%), and Sweden (2%). Relevant determinants of treatment being withheld rather than withdrawn were older age (odds ratio [OR], 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31-1.79), death outside the hospital (death in hospital: OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.68-0.93), and greater lifeshortening effect (OR, 1.75; 95% Cl, 1.27-2.39). Conclusions: In all of the participating countries, life prolonging treatment is withheld or withdrawn at the end of life. Frequencies vary greatly among countries. Low technology interventions, such as medication or hydration or nutrition, are most frequently forgone. in older patients and outside the hospital, physicians prefer not to initiate life-prolonging treatment at all rather than stop it later.}},
author = {{Bosshard, G and Nilstun, Tore and Bilsen, J and Norup, M and Miccinesi, G and van Delden, JJM and Faisst, K and van der Heide, A}},
issn = {{0003-9926}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{401--407}},
publisher = {{American Medical Association}},
series = {{Archives of Internal Medicine}},
title = {{Forgoing treatment at the end of life in 6 European countries}},
url = {{http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/165/4/401}},
volume = {{165}},
year = {{2005}},
}