Ethical Decision Making Model for Withdrawing Life Support

Abstract

Withdrawing a loved one from life support, or life-prolonging treatments, can be devastating, and it occurs with increasing frequency in our modern day hospitals. Families face difficult decisions that will ultimately end up in the demise of the patient. Guidance or assistance of any type that can make this complicated time easier, even if in the smallest way, can result in better outcomes. Identifying an ethical decision making model, and using it with consistency, is a noble and necessary objective. The purpose of this project was to review the literature related to cultural beliefs surrounding death, end-of-life decision making, and the models used in that process. The personal story of a family who faced the decision to withdraw life support of family member, and the decision making process inherent in that journey is also presented. This family's experience is considered within current context of decision making models in the literature. These decision making models are analyzed and provide the basis for the author's proposed model for future use in making decisions about withdrawing life support.