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Project
Relieving suffering at the end of life: a study in three European countries (FWOAL566)
Topic
Terminal sedation (using sedating drugs to take away the patient's perception of severe symptoms) is increasingly being used as a last resort end-of-life treatment. It is heavily criticized for its resemblance to euthanasia. Its clinical characteristics are poorly understood. Large variations in the frequency of terminal sedation throughout Europe indicate that its use is not only determined by the severity of the patients' suffering, but also by other factors.
Objectives:
To study in three European countries (Flanders, Netherlands, UK):
1. What are the clinical characteristics of terminal sedation in different settings?
2. What are the motives for and determinants of terminal sedation?
3. What is the perceived patient's quality of dying after use of terminal sedation, according to physicians,nurses and relatives?
Approach
This study has an innovative mixed-methods design, consisting of quantitative analyses of existing high quality databases and 270 qualitative interviews with physicians, nurses and relatives. Its attainability is ensured by the established research position of the research consortium, which resulted in publications in e.g. NEJM and Lancet.
Importance
The study will improve our understanding of the clinical characteristics and determinants of terminal sedation, and will enable the development of evidence-based strategies to improve this end-of-life practice.
Terminal sedation (using sedating drugs to take away the patient's perception of severe symptoms) is increasingly being used as a last resort end-of-life treatment. It is heavily criticized for its resemblance to euthanasia. Its clinical characteristics are poorly understood. Large variations in the frequency of terminal sedation throughout Europe indicate that its use is not only determined by the severity of the patients' suffering, but also by other factors.
Objectives:
To study in three European countries (Flanders, Netherlands, UK):
1. What are the clinical characteristics of terminal sedation in different settings?
2. What are the motives for and determinants of terminal sedation?
3. What is the perceived patient's quality of dying after use of terminal sedation, according to physicians,nurses and relatives?
Approach
This study has an innovative mixed-methods design, consisting of quantitative analyses of existing high quality databases and 270 qualitative interviews with physicians, nurses and relatives. Its attainability is ensured by the established research position of the research consortium, which resulted in publications in e.g. NEJM and Lancet.
Importance
The study will improve our understanding of the clinical characteristics and determinants of terminal sedation, and will enable the development of evidence-based strategies to improve this end-of-life practice.
Date:1 Jan 2010 → 31 Dec 2013
Keywords:Medical Sociology
Disciplines:Sociology and anthropology