Rothchild E
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland Veteran's Administration Medical Center, Ohio 44106.
Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 1994 Jul;16(4):251-8. doi: 10.1016/0163-8343(94)90004-3.
The decision to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment is now regularly weighed in chronic or terminal illness. Families are usually supportive advocates and concerned surrogate decision makers for patients, although they can also counter the wishes of the patient and disagree with the treatment team. Understanding the range of factors--internal and external, confronting the individual members and the family as a whole--that can influence family responses helps in working with families at this critical juncture in an illness. Interventions to assist the family and treatment team are discussed.
