Ethical Issues Surrounding End-of-Life Care: A Narrative Review

Healthcare (Basel). 2016 May 5;4(2):24. doi: 10.3390/healthcare4020024.

Abstract

End-of-life care decision making carries paramount importance due to the advancements in medical sciences. Since medical science has evolved over the time and now has a potentiality to reshape the circumstances during death and in turn prolong lives, various ethical issues surround end-of-life care. The purpose of this narrative review is to discuss issues such as autonomous decision making, importance of advance directives, rationing of care in futile treatments and costs involved in providing end-of-life care. Even though much progress has been made in this area continued advancement in medical science demands further research into this topic.

Keywords: advance directives; end-of-life care; ethics; treatments.

Publication types

  • Review