Problems Related to the Act on Decisions on Life-Sustaining Treatment and Directions for Improvement.

ABSTRACT: The Act on Decisions on Life-Sustaining Treatment has been in effect since 2018 for end-of-life patients. However, only 20~25% of deaths of terminally ill patients comply with the law, while the remaining 75~80% do not. There is significant confusion in how the law distinguishes between those in the terminal stage and those in the dying process. These 2 stages can be hard to distinguish, and they should be understood as a single unified "terminal stage." The number of medical institutions eligible for life-sustaining treatment decisions should be legally expanded to properly reflect patients' wishes. To prevent unnecessary suffering resulting from futile life-sustaining treatment, life-sustaining treatment decisions for terminal patients without the needed familial relationships should be

SUBMITTER: Heo DS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10180009 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature