If you have specific preferences concerning your own end-of-life planning, a new study suggests that you might want to put them in writing and discuss them with your family sooner rather than later.

As reported by Sara Heath of Patient Engagement HIT, a press release by the Regenstrief Institute explains that the religious and/or spiritual beliefs of family members and caregivers impact end-of-life care decisions for mentally and/or physically incapacitated patients who can no longer speak for themselves.*

Surprising Discovery

It was not the degree or intensity of religiosity that determined caregivers’ end-of-life care decisions for their loved ones, however.

“As a palliative care doctor, I see many family members with strong religious beliefs who want aggressive measures for their loved one and others with strong religiosity or spirituality who are comfortable accepting that their loved one is going to die,” said Alexia Torke, MD, the study’s lead investigator. “The [decision-maker] surrogate might say something like, ‘She’ll go to heaven,’ or ‘She’ll be with God.’ So I wasn’t surprised that our study found a lack of association of most aspects of religiosity and spirituality with end-of-life decisions, but I was surprised at how dramatically belief in miracles stood out.”

Of the 291 patient/decision-maker pairs involved in the study, 59% believed their loved one could be saved by a miracle, and that their belief influenced the end-of-life care decisions they made on their loved one’s behalf.

Faith and End-of-Life Decisions

The researchers found that, regardless of religious ideologies or dogmas, family members who believed in miracles were more likely to:

• not want to sign a Do-Not-Resuscitate order for their loved one
• not utilize hospice or comfort care services for their loved one
• prefer aggressive treatments near the end of their loved one’s life

Opportunity for Improvement

The study authors suggested that these findings offer healthcare providers an opportunity to improve their own communication with patients and caregivers. By soliciting patient input on end-of-life preferences and being sensitive to family member beliefs, physicians can see a larger picture, guide patients and their families through end-of-life decisions with compassion, and ensure patients’ dignity and autonomy are preserved. 

Refer to Patient Engagement HIT for the full article. 

*Heath, S. (2019, November 6). Family Caregiver Beliefs May Sway End-of-Life Provider Communication. Patient Engagement HIT.