Advanced Care
We can do a lot of things in the ICU but that does not mean we should. The many aggressive interventions we have that are great for certain populations; but in a patient with poor quality of life, older age or multiple co-morbidities, they may actually elect not to have these aggressive treatments. As a provider in such a life-or-death field of medicine it is important to understand advanced care planning and know how to facilitate these conversations with patients and their family members before it is too late.
Associated Docs:
Empirical Support for Patient and Family Centered Critical Care
Ethical Considerations in the Role of Family in End Of Life Decisions