chessandmedicine

Doctors Really Do Die Differently Research Says That More Physicians Plan Ahead, Reject CPR, and Die In Peace by Ken Murray July 23, 2012 by Ken Murray | July 23, 2012 In late 2011, I wrote an essay for Zócalo called “ How Doctors Die .” Drawing on my observations and experiences as a doctor, I reported that doctors tend to seek less end-of-life care than ordinary patients do. They know when further treatment is likely to be futile and when life would cease to be worth living. The point I wanted to make was that all of us should have the choice to die that way if we wish–at home, with family, without dramatic hospital interventions, without pain. The response to this simple idea was overwhelming. I read thousands of comments people posted online regarding the end-of-life care of loved ones. They told of near-dead relatives being assaulted with toxic drugs and painful pr...