Terminally ill who request doctors make decisions undergo more aggressive final treatments

(Rutgers University) Terminally ill patients who request that physicians make decisions on their behalf are more likely to receive aggressive treatments in the weeks before they die, according to a Rutgers study.The study, published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, is the first to examine if personal beliefs and attitudes of both patients and physicians affect end-of-life treatments that can be painful and risky.

from EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science http://bit.ly/2XVu5Dx