Citation

Ilemona ER. Niger. J. Med. 2014; 23(4): 358-364.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Caring for patients at the end-of-life period could involve a number of situations and incidents that pose moral dilemma for both the health workers and the patients' family members or loved ones. Some of these issues include shared decision-making, the right to refuse medical treatment, medical futility, and euthanasia versus assisted suicide, information disclosure (truth-telling), substitute decision-making, and confidentiality. They may seem improbable or remote, until one is confronted with them real-time. Providing good care for dying patients requires that physicians and other members of the health care team be knowledgeable of ethical issues pertinent to end-of-life care.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; human; Decision Making; Withholding Treatment; decision making; Physician-Patient Relations; medical ethics; ethics; Terminal Care; Personal Autonomy; Palliative Care; Ethics, Medical; terminal care; palliative therapy; right to die; Right to Die; treatment withdrawal; personal autonomy; doctor patient relation; treatment refusal; Treatment Refusal