Surrogate decision-makers' dilemma on end-of-life care requires more input from doctors

amednews: Surrogate decision-makers' dilemma on end-of-life care requires more input from doctors :: Nov. 15, 2010 ... American Medical News: Physicians and hospitals have failed surrogate decision-makers by hewing too closely to a protocol that delegates these life-and-death choices entirely to family members. The hands-off approach to surrogate decision-making 'leaves them hanging in the wind, saying, 'It's your decision,' said Dr. Sulmasy, associate director of the University of Chicago's MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics. 'This is not like a menu in a restaurant. They need and ought to have some guidance in these decisions.'

Leaving choices in the laps of surrogates is especially problematic because they often do not have an advance directive to help them decide. Exploring patients' values can help physicians make appropriate clinical recommendations.

Editor: This is why BFL developed the Protective Medical Decisions Declaration, available at http://www.bfl.org/Services-Resources/LIFT/Protective-Medical-Decisions-Declaration-(PMDD).aspx.